Design of maintenance schedules for fatigue-prone metallic components using reliability-based optimization

This contribution focuses on the design of optimal maintenance schedules for metallic structures prone to develop fatigue cracks. The crack propagation phenomenon is addressed using a fracture mechanics approach. The problem of maintenance scheduling is addressed within the framework of reliability-based optimization (RBO). Thus, it is possible to minimize the costs associated with maintenance and eventual failure while explicitly considering uncertainties in the crack propagation phenomenon and inspection activities. The underlying RBO problem is solved using an efficient method recently developed by the authors. A numerical example demonstrating the application of the proposed approach is presented.