A new proposal for formulating Reliability-Based Design Optimization (RBDO) problems, named Multi-Stage Reliability-Based Design Optimization (MSRBDO) approach, is presented. The classical RBDO formulation determines all decision variables "here and now" in the presence of uncertainty. Nevertheless, in many complex systems design applications, the product development process gradually evolves through time, and decisions at the ensuing milestones are made on the basis of increased knowledge on previously uncertain factors. If the holdup leading to such informed resolutions is deemed acceptable to the decision maker, then it would be advantageous to "wait and see" how the less urgent design issues run their course until more concrete insights on the relevant uncertain parameters are obtained. This paper describes how the proposed MSRBDO approach is capable of accounting for such follow-on corrective decisions based on the partial realizations of random parameters at selected stages along the engineering design process, thereby further enhancing the practicality of RBDO.
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