Reliability Based Analysis of a Pin Connected Truss using Random Field Finite Element Method (RFEM)

Abstract

Wood is an anisotropic structural material with highly variable mechanical properties. The mechanical properties of wood used in timber structures depend on several factors including biological origins, environmental conditions and manufacturing processes. Even the timber members from the same tree are prone to variations in their mechanical properties due to the presence of local defects such as knots and resin pockets. Therefore, the reliability assessment of timber structures needs to take into account the variability of the mechanical properties of timber members. In this study, Random Field Element Method (RFEM) was used to carry out the reliability assessment of a pin connected timber roof truss. The modulus of elasticity were selected as the random field variables for the timber members. Modelling and analysis of the timber truss was conducted using the ANSYS finite element analysis software. The impact of the variation of the mechanical properties of the timber members on the deflections of the truss system used in this study are presented in the conclusions.