The development of a smart, fast and reliable engineering design software package for applications in structural and geotechnical engineering design

This research proposes to develop and implement innovative algorithms required to build a software package that will help engineers achieve designs that properly balance reliability and cost. The resulting risk-based design is challenging because it is computationally very time consuming, involving both sophisticated numerical models of the structure being designed, and also Monte Carlo simulations in order to estimate its reliability. Algorithms which speed up the numerical modeling using advanced computer hardware are essential to assessing the reliability of a particular design. Added to this is the problem of finding optimal designs which take design and construction costs into account. Risked based design methodologies will be developed to identify the best potential designs, along with their cost and
reliability, so that the engineer can make an informed decision regarding the optimal design.

Faculty Supervisor:

Gordon A Fenton;John Newhook

Student:

Reza Rahimi

Partner:

Smart Design Systems

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

Dalhousie University