The Symposium, held in Torino (lSI, Villa Gualino) July 1-5, 1991 is the sixth of a series of IUTAM-Symposia on the application of stochastic analysis to continuum and discrete mechanics. The previous one, held in Innsbruck (1987), was mainly concentrated on qual itative and quantitative analysis of stochastic dynamical systems as well as on bifurcation and transition to chaos of deterministic systems. This Symposium concentrated on fundamental aspects (stochastic analysis and mathe matical methods), on specific applications in various branches of mechanics, engineering and applied sciences as well as on related fields as analysis of large systems, system identifica tion, earthquake prediction. Numerical methods suitable to provide quantitative results, say stochastic finite elements, approximation of probability distribution and direct integration of differential equations have also been the object of interesting presentations. Specific topics of the sessions have been: Engineering Applications, Equivalent Lineariza tion of Discrete Stochastic Systems, Fatigue and Life Estimation, Fluid Dynamics, Numerical Methods, Random Vibration, Reliability Analysis, Stochastic Differential Equations, System Identification, Stochastic Control. We are indebted to the IUTAM Bureau for having promoted and sponsored this Sympo sium and the Scientific Committee for having collaborated to the selection of participants and lecturers as well as to a prompt reviewing of the papers submitted for publication into these proceedings. A special thank is due to Frank Kozin: the organization of this meeting was for him ';ery important; he missed the meeting but his organizer ability was present.

Klappentext

This volume contains papers presented at the IUTAM Symposiumon Nonlinear Stochastic Mechanics held in Turin in July1991.The symposium concentrated on fundamental aspects(stochastic analysis and mathematical methods), on specificapplications in various branches of mechanics, engineeringand applied sciences as well as on related fields such asanalysis of large systems, system identification andearthquake prediction. Numerical methods suitable to providequantitative results, e.g.stochastic finite elements,approximation of probability distribution and directintegration of differential equations are also presented.The topics of the session include Engineering Applications,Equivalent Linearization of Discrete Stochastic Systems,Fatigue and Life Estimation, Fluid Dynamics, NumericalMethods, Random Vibration, Reliability Analysis, StochasticDifferential Equations, System Identification and StochasticControl.

Inhalt
Statistical Linearization and Large Excitation of Nonlinear Stochastic Mechanical Systems.- On the Localization Phenomenon in Randomly Disordered Engineering Structures.- Nonlinear Dynamic Analysis of Cooling Towers under Stochastic Wind Loading.- An Application to the Solution of the Fokker-Planck-Kolmogorov Equation for Non Linear Oscillators under Stochastic Loading.- Robust Numerical Solution of the Transient Fokker-Planck Equation for Nonlinear Dynamical Systems.- About Stochastic Linearization.- Fatigue Life Estimation under Non-Stationary Stochastic Processes.- Application of Nonlinear Stochastic Mechanics in Offshore Engineering.- Estimation of Structural Reliability of Nonlinear Systems under Seismic Action.- Engine Probabilistic Structural Analysis Methods Reliability/Certification.- Seismic Reliability of Simple R/C Frames Designed According with the 1976 and 1987 Mexico City Codes.- Stochastic Finite Element Analysis of Uncertain Nonlinear Trusses under Random Loadings.- Stochastic Response of Non-Linear Systems under Parametric Non-Gaussian Agencies.- On the Cross-Correlation Method for Identification of Modal Restoring Force Nonlinearity from Random Vibration Data.- Stochastic Growth of Fatigue Crack under Constant Amplitude Loading.- Equivalent Statistical Quadratization for Multi-Degree-of-Freedom Nonlinear Systems.- Comparison of the New Energy-Based Versions of the Stochastic Linearization Technique.- Structural Reliability via Response Surface.- Stochastic Analysis of a Beam on Random Foundation with Uncertain Damping Subjected to a Moving Load.- Stochastic Aspects in Nonlinear Discrete Kinetic Theory.- Random Motion of Particles in a Flow with Application to Groundwater Pollution.- A Probability Consistent Closure Method.- Probabilistic Methods to Waves in Heterogeneous Media.- Solutions of Random Initial Value Problems.- Large Amplitude Random Vibration of Polygonal Plates.- Structural Model Bifurcation under Random Excitation.- Approximate Analysis of Nonlinear Systems under Narrow Band Random Inputs.- Maximum-Likelihood Parametric Identification Technique for Objects of Randomly Varying Structure.- Controlling the Dynamics of a Random Systems.- Structural Safety Control and Stochastic Aspects.- Stochastic Computational Mechanics in Brittle Fracture and Fatigue.- Flow of a Thin Liquid Film over a Rough Rotating Disk.- Evaluation of a Stochastic Approach for Reliability Centered Maintenance of Metallic Airframes.- Random Flow-Induced Oscillations with Impacts of a Set of Coupled Pendulums.- Response Statistics of Nonlinear Dynamic Systems by Path Integration.- A Comprehensive Stationary Non-Gaussian Analysis of BWB Hysteresis.- A Practical Approach to Predict the Stochastic Response of Many-DOF-Systems Modeled by Finite Elements.- Distribution of the Response of Hysteretic Oscillators with Wide-Band Random Excitation.- First Passage and Wave Density Analysis by Means of the Computer Package CROSSREG.- Stochastic Stabilization by Multiplicative Noise.- Random Seismic Response of Equipment on Hysteretic Structures.- Analysis of Stochastic Systems via Maximum Entropy Principle.- System Identification of Nonlinear Dynamic Structures Based on Stochastic Time Series Model Fitting.- Nonlinear Stochastic Mechanics in Structural Safety and Reliability Monitoring of Gas Lifelines.- Simulation and Analysis of Mechanical Systems with Parameter Fluctuation.- Optimal Aseismic Hybrid Control of Nonlinear and Hysteretic Structures using Velocity and Acceleration Feedbacks.- Stochastic Excited Hamiltonian Systems.