Dr.
Bilal M. Ayyub
and Dr. Ibrahim A. Assakkaf of the Center for
Technology and Systems Management (CTSM), and Dr.
David P. Kihl and Mr. Michael E. Sieve of the U. S.
Navy received the “Jimmie” Hamilton Award for the
best original paper published in the Naval Engineers
Journal of the American Society of Naval Engineers
during the year 2002.
The paper “Reliability-Design Guidelines for Fatigue
of Ship Structures” was published in the Naval
Engineers Journal of Spring 2002. The authors have
developed reliability-based methods for determining
the fatigue life of structural details associated
with conventional displacement-type, surface
monohull ships based on the maximum stress to
cycles-to-failure ratio (S-N curve) approach. The
methods are also based on structural reliability
theory and can be applied either in direct
reliability-based design or in a load and resistance
factor design (LRFD) format. The LRFD methods were
developed according to spectral analysis of wave
loads, building on conventional codes, nominal
strength and load values, and achieving target
reliability levels. The first-order reliability
method (FORM) was used to develop the partial safety
factors for selected fatigue limit state equations
and for demonstration purposes.
This paper stands not only on its own merits but is
also representative of the eight quality papers of
the spring 2002 special issue on reliability-based
design of naval ship structures using LRFD. These
papers were the culmination of work begun in the
early 1980s by NSWCCD and the University of Maryland
and subsequent program management provided by NA
VSEA.
This paper captures the essence of the analytical
and experimental work done in the development of
this design methodology. It is definitely in keeping
with the technical standards of the Naval Engineers
Journal. The authors are most deserving of the
Society’s 2002 “Jimmie” Hamilton Award.
