Automatic identification of the worst load combination for structural safety assessment using an optimization approach.

Highlights: [•] A pair of novel approaches automatically identifies the worst load combination. [•] The approaches eliminate the need to explore analyses of all possible load cases. [•] Elastoplastic materials, contact conditions and/or nonlinear geometry are allowed. [•] Practical dependent pattern loads are incorporated using new linear constraints. [•] The proposed algorithm processes directly a 0–1 MPEC. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]