CFre: An ABAQUS plug-in for creep-fatigue reliability assessment considering multiple uncertainty sources

Abstract

Probabilistic reliability assessment is an important part of life management for critical equipment, but it can be costly due to the need for extensive data. To further implement reliability assessment in engineering, it is essential to reduce both economic costs and the learning curve for engineers. This paper presents a surrogate model-based probabilistic reliability assessment plug-in for ABAQUS that does not depend on any third-party software. The plug-in can automatically perform stochastic finite element method considering multiple uncertainty sources including material, geometry, and load. By using the data obtained from FEM, the plug-in trains the surrogate model and completes the reliability assessment and visualization. This paper illustrates the theoretical basis, design concepts, and functionalities of the plug-in, along with an example demonstrating its effectiveness and efficiency. The free plug-in serves as a valuable tool for engineers, facilitating easy and efficient reliability assessments.