General purpose software for probability computations—A virtual machine approach

The application of probability techniques in structural engineering has seen ample development in the last decade. Yet, the software used for engineering probability computations often lacks generality. The functional needs to be satisfied by general purpose software for engineering applications of probability methods are presented. An analysis of these needs suggests a software design philosophy based on the concept of a software virtual machine for probability computations. The virtual machine architecture and software design are explained. An example problem, in seismic risk analysis, solved with software based on this design is described.