A new direct second-order reliability analysis method

• A new study of the second-order reliability method (SORM) is presented. • All the information from the fitted quadratic polynomial model of the limit state function is used. • The cumulant generating function of the fitted quadratic polynomial surface in normalized standard variables is derived analytically. • The saddlepoint approximation is utilized for reliability analysis. • The proposed method is more accurate than the conventional SORM....