Department of Civil Engineering

De La Salle University – Manila

COLLEGE: GCOE DEPARTMENT: Civil Engineering

COURSE CODE: CIV829M/D COURSE TITLE: Structural Safety and Reliability
UNITS: Three (3)
Name of Instructor: Dr. Lessandro Estelito O. Garciano
Consultation Hours: By appointment

COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This course covers fundamentals of structural reliability for MS and PhD students. Successful completion of the course
will enable students to apply reliability assessment to real-world engineering problems that can be described by
mathematical models. The emphasis is on the reliability assessment of structures and will cover topics in fundamentals
of probability theory, random variables, First Order Reliability Method (FORM), Second Order Reliability Method
(SORM) and Monte Carlo Simulation (MCS).

COURSE ASSESSMENTS. As evidence of attaining the above learning outcomes, the student is
required to do and submit the following during the indicated dates of the term.

REQUIRED OUTPUT / ASSESSMENTS DUE DATE

Quiz #1 2nd week
Quiz #2 3rd week
Assignment #1 3rd week
Assignment #2 6th week
Assignment #3 11th week
Technical Paper #1 Presentation (submission) 7th week
Technical Paper #2 Presentation (submission) 12th week
Term Project 14th Week

RUBRIC FOR ASSESSMENT OF THE ASSIGNMENTS:

CRITERIA EXEMPLARY SATISFACTORY DEVELOPING BEGINNING RATING
(90 to 100%) (75 to 90%) (60 to 75%) (<60%)
The problem is The problem is The problem is The problem is
Analysis & analyzed analyzed analyzed analyzed
Application correctly and the correctly but incorrectly but incorrectly and
of Theory theory and some theory and some theory and the theory and
(60%) principles used principles principles used principles used
are used are not are are incorrect.
correct. correct correct.

Computation The procedure is The procedure is Major mistakes Incorrect

and correct & correct with in the procedure.
Procedure numerical values minor numerical procedure and Basic
(40%) are computed errors. Some computation. computations
accurately with values with Some values incorrect.
correct units. incorrect units. with incorrect Incorrect
units.

RUBRIC FOR ASSESSMENT OF THE TECHNICAL PAPER REVIEW:

CRITERIA EXEMPLARY SATISFACTORY DEVELOPING BEGINNING RATING
(90 to 100%) (75 to 90%) (60 to 75%) (<60%)

Revised: April 2024 – LEOG/LRAV 1

 Ability to
The submitted
relate the
work partially
topics The submitted The submitted
The submitted manifests the
discussed in work manifests work does not
work manifests required
this course qualities which manifest any of
the required qualities. Certain
with the topic go beyond the the
qualities. aspects are either
in the journal requirements. requirements.
incomplete or
(30%)
incorrect.
Ability to The submitted
analyze, work partially
The submitted The submitted
interpret and The submitted manifests the
work manifests work does not
recommend work manifests required
qualities which manifest any of
based on the the required qualities. Certain
go beyond the the
output of the qualities. aspects are either
requirements. requirements.
journal incomplete or
papers (40%) incorrect.
The submitted
Ability to work partially
The submitted The submitted
compose a The submitted manifests the
work manifests work does not
well written work manifests required
qualities which manifest any of
report and the required qualities. Certain
go beyond the the
presentation qualities. aspects are either
requirements. requirements.
(30%) incomplete or
incorrect.

RUBRIC FOR ASSESSMENT OF THE TERM PROJECT:

CRITERIA EXEMPLARY SATISFACTORY DEVELOPING BEGINNING RATING
(90 to 100%) (75 to 90%) (60 to 75%) (<60%)
The submitted
Ability to
work partially
establish The submitted The submitted
The submitted manifests the
appropriate work manifests work does not
work manifests required
load and qualities which manifest any of
the required qualities. Certain
resistance go beyond the the
qualities. aspects are either
models (20%) requirements. requirements.
incomplete or
incorrect.
The submitted
work partially
The submitted The submitted
Ability to The submitted manifests the
work manifests work does not
validate and work manifests required
qualities which manifest any of
analyze the the required qualities. Certain
go beyond the the
model (50%) qualities. aspects are either
requirements. requirements.
incomplete or
incorrect.
The submitted
Ability to work partially
The submitted The submitted
compose a The submitted manifests the
work manifests work does not
well written work manifests required
qualities which manifest any of
report and the required qualities. Certain
go beyond the the
presentation qualities. aspects are either
requirements. requirements.
(30%) incomplete or
incorrect.

Revised: April 2024 – LEOG/LRAV 2

GRADING SYSTEM:
1. General Average The general average of each student’s grade will be computed as follows:
• Assignments = 5%
• Quizzes = 15%
• Paper Review and Oral Presentations = 40%
• Term Project = 40%

TOTAL = 100%

PASSING GRADE: 2.0 (for MEng’g and MS CE students) and 2.5 (for PhD students)

2. Final Grade: The final grade will be determined based on the general average:
• 4.0: 94.0 - 100.0 • 2.0 : 70.0 - 75.9
• 3.5 : 88.0 - 93.9 • 1.5 : 65.0 - 69.9
• 3.0: 82.0 - 87.9 • 1.0 :60.0 - 64.9
• 2.5 : 76.0 - 81.9 • 0.0 : 59.9 below

LEARNING PLAN: A ROADMAP FOR ONLINE TEACHING AND LEARNING

1. Announcements – Be updated via AnimoSpace Announcements
2. Files – Download and read handouts from AnimoSpace
3. Modules – You must accomplish all tasks for each module to be able to proceed to the next one.
4. Assignments – students must upload assignments to AnimoSpace on or before the set deadline.
5. Lectures – Synchronous lectures will be conducted via Zoom during online classes. Recorded
lectures can be replayed from AnimoSpace.

Week Topic
• Pre-course self-assessment
• Overview of the course and requirements
1 • Random Variables (RVs) (1/2)
Basic definitions, Properties of probability functions, parameters of a RV and Common RVs
Assignment #1
• Random Variables (RVs) (2/2)
2 Probability papers, Conditional probability, Correlation and Bayesian updating
Quiz #1
• Functions of Random Variables
Linear functions of RVs, Linear functions of normal variables, Product of lognormal RVs,
3 Nonlinear function of RVs and Central Limit Theorem (CLT)
Submission of Assignment No. 1
Quiz #2
• Simulation Techniques (1/2)
Basic Concept, Generation of uniformly distributed RVs, Generation of standard normal RVs
4 and Generation of normal RVs
Paper search for technical paper #1
Assignment #2
• Simulation Techniques (2/2)
Generation of lognormal RVs, Simulation of correlated normal random RVs and Latin
5
Hypercube Sampling (LHS)s
preparation of technical paper #1 and ppt file
Research Break #1
6
Finalizing technical paper #1 and ppt file

Revised: April 2024 – LEOG/LRAV 3

 Submission of Assignment No. 2
PAPER PRESENTATIONS #1
7
Mid-term survey
• Structural Safety Analysis (1/4)
8
Limit States, Fundamental Case and the Reliability Index (FORM)
• Structural Safety Analysis (2/4)
8
Hasofer-Lind reliability index (FORM)
• Structural Safety Analysis (3/4)
Reliability Index (SORM)
9 Assignment #3
Paper search for technical paper #2
Term Project search
• Structural Safety Analysis (4/4)
10 Reliability analysis using Monte Carlo Simulation (MCS)
preparation of technical paper #2 and ppt file
Research Break #2
Finalizing technical paper #2 and ppt file
11
Term project preparation
Submission of Assignment #3
12 PAPER PRESENTATIONS #2
13 Research Break #3 (finalization of project and submission)
TERM PROJECT PRESENTATIONS
14 Date: Saturday. This serves as a make-up class for the research breaks
End-of-term survey

• REQUIREMENTS

✓ ASSIGNMENTS: Assignments will enhance students understanding of the topics.

✓ QUIZZES. Quizzes will require the students to analyze problems.
✓ TECHNICAL PAPER REVIEW: Choose a technical paper of your interest from a journal
(published in 2020 or later) where structural safety and reliability theory (using simulation or closed
form solution) is used in a Civil Engineering problem. Write a review of the paper and present orally
using appropriate presentation software.
✓ TERM PROJECT: The objective is to conduct and apply structural safety and reliability analysis
of a civil engineering problem using appropriate resistance and load models. A written report with a
review of related literature and discussion of the problem, model, results and analysis must be
submitted and presented orally.

• MEng. and MS CE Students:

✓ Two paper reviews (FORM or SORM and MCS) and oral reports per paper
✓ assignments and quizzes
✓ term project - apply any of the following: FORM, SORM or MCS in a structural safety and
reliability civil engineering problem

• PhD Students:
✓ Three paper reviews (FORM, SORM and MCS) and oral reports per paper
✓ assignments and quizzes
✓ Two term projects (use two algorithms - one for conceptual and another for application)

Revised: April 2024 – LEOG/LRAV 4

 • Conceptual Project – proposed project using FORM / SORM or MCS but implementation not
required
• Application Project – use any FORM / SORM or MCS in a structural safety and reliability civil
engineering problem

REFERENCES:
• Nowak, A. S. and Collins, K. R. (2000) “Reliability of Structures”, McGraw-Hill Higher Education
• Ang, A H-S and Tang, W. H. (1990) “Probability concepts in Engineering Planning and Design:
Vol. II – Decision, Risk and Reliability”

Course Title Date Date Prepared by: Approved by:

(Code): Effective: Revised:

Approved by:
Dr. Lessandro Estelito
O. Garciano
Structural
Term 3, Dr. Mary Ann Q. Adajar
Safety and April
AY2023 - Chair, DCE
Reliability 2024
2024 Engr. Rainier
(CIV829M/D)
Lawrence A. Valdez

Revised: April 2024 – LEOG/LRAV 5