Structural Safety Factor Analysis
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Determine the probability that a structural component will maintain a safety factor above the target given uncertainties in material properties and loads.
NOTEAbout This Model
## Determine the probability that a structural component will maintain a safety factor above the target given uncertainties in material properties and loads. This model estimates **Actual FoS** based on uncertain inputs: Material Strength, Applied Load. Run the simulation to see the distribution of possible outcomes.
VARIABLEMaterial Strength
triangular(45, 50, 55)
Typical yield strength of structural steel (e.g., A36 is ~36ksi, but higher grades range 50-70ksi). Represents material resistance variation.
material_strength
VARIABLEApplied Load
triangular(15, 22.5, 30)
Range of expected peak loads in kips or psf, accounting for environmental and occupancy uncertainty.
applied_load
FORMULAActual FoS
material_strength / applied_load
Calculation of the actual factor of safety by comparing the realized material strength to the applied load.
actual_fos
OUTPUTActual FoS
actual_fos
The ratio of material strength to applied stress. Values above 1.0 mean the structure is safe; below 1.0 means failure. Industry standards typically require 1.5–3.0x depending on application.
What is Carlo?
Carlo is a visual tool for Monte Carlo simulation. Model uncertainty by dragging probability distributions, connecting them visually, and running thousands of scenarios instantly.