Response analysis based on smallest interval-set of parameters for structures with uncertainty

An integral analytic process from quantification to propagation based on limited uncertain parameters is investigated to deal with practical engineering problems. A new method by use of the smallest interval-set/hyper-rectangle containing all experimental data is proposed to quantify the parameter uncertainties. With the smallest parameter interval-set, the uncertainty propagation evaluation of the most favorable response and the least favorable response of the structures is studied based on the interval analysis. The relationship between the proposed interval analysis method (IAM) and the classical IAM is discussed. Two numerical examples are presented to demonstrate the feasibility and validity of the proposed method.