The last half a century has seen spectacular progresses in computing and modelling in a variety of fields, applications, and methodologies. Over the same period, a cross-disciplinary field known as sensitivity analysis has been making its first steps, evolving from the design of experiments for laboratory or field studies, also called ‘in-vivo’, to the so-called experiments ‘in-silico’. Some disciplines were quick to realize the...

This work include an example of sensitivity analysis for the design of a composite footbridge. A sandwich structure is used, consisting two high-strength skins separated by a core material. The analysis was conducted for two numerical models. The first one is a simple, single-span beam of a composite cross-section (laminate and foam), with different Young’s modulus for each material. Calculations were made by means of a MATLAB-based...

Research background: Composite indicators are commonly used not only to measure economic development, the standard of livin g, competitiveness, fairness, effectiveness but are also willingly implemented in to many different fields. How- ever, it seems that in most cases the variable weig hting procedure is avoided or erroneous since in most cases so-called “wights by belief” are...

The first order variation of critical buckling load of thin-walled columns with bisymmetric open cross-section due to some variations of the design variables such as: cross-section dimensions, or material characteristics is derived. The influence of the residual welding stresses is taken into account. In the numerical examples dealing with I-column the functions describing the effect of the variation of the dimensions of the flange...