Reliability-based optimization using bridge importance sampling

This paper introduces an efficient reliability estimation approach to be used in the framework of reliability-based optimization. The key feature of the procedure consists of reusing during the optimization procedure the results of the previous iterations. The reliability analysis is performed subsequently with a reduced number of samples which greatly decreases the computational efforts associated with the reliability-based optimization process. The validity and the advantages of the procedure are demonstrated by means of two reliability-based optimization problems.

•Reliability analysis is performed with a reduced number of samples.•An efficient reliability estimation approach is integrated in the context of RBO.•The approach bridges information from different optimization stages.•Information from previous iterations is used during the design process.•Advantages are demonstrated in practical problems.