This symposium is the seventh of a series of IUTAM symposia dealing with probabilistic methods in mechanics. It focused on advances in the area of probabilistic mechanics with direct application to structural reliability issues. The papers selected for this volume address collectively the four components of a structural reliability problem. They are: characterization of stochastic loads, description of material properties in terms of fatigue and fracture, response determination, and quantitative assessment of the reliability of the structural system. They include Keynote Lectures by V. Bolotin (Russia), O. Ditlevsen (Denmark), R. Heller (USA), and F. Ziegler (Austria).
