A novel uncertainty analysis method for composite structures with mixed uncertainties including random and interval variables

This paper is aimed at proposing a novel uncertainty analysis approach based on polynomial chaos expansion method for composite structures, where mixed uncertainties including normal random and interval variables can be considered simultaneously. Firstly, existing uncertain elastic parameters in composites can be separately dealt with as normal random and interval variables according to the amount of available information and the uncertain response analysis problem with mixed uncertainties is proposed. Then some traditional uncertainty analysis methods are introduced, whose purpose is to point out the shortcomings or deficiencies for given approaches. Furthermore, the basic knowledge for polynomial chaos expansion (PCE) method and a novel uncertainty analysis method on the basis of PCE method for composite structures with mixed uncertainties are explained in details, where the polynomial coefficients are viewed as quadratic polynomial functions of interval variables. Finally, two numerical examples are carried out to account for the validity and feasibility of the developed method. The results show that the developed PCE method can be efficiently applied in uncertainty analysis of composite structures.