Some mechanical aspects of the probability of failure

Some aspects of the influence of the mechanical model on a computed operational probability of failure are discussed. It is shown that an elastically computed probability of failure will, though a lower bound, be not always far away from a probability of failure computed on the basis of rigid-plastic limit load analysis. This property of a lower bound might even get lost in cases, where second order effects lead to a lower limit load and a bigger probability of failure. A method for an approximate analysis of this case is proposed. (orig.)