The Proceedings contain 30 papers presented at the 2nd Working Conference on "Relia.bility and Optimization of Structural Systems" , London, UK, September 26 - 28, 1988. The Working conference was organized by the IFIP Working Group 7.5. The Proceedings also include 3 papers which were submitted, but for various reasons not presented at the Working Conference. The Working Conference was attended by 47 participants from 15 countries. The Conference was the second scientific meeting of a new IFIP Working Group 7.5 on "Reliability and Optimization of Structural Systems". The purpose of the Working Group 7.5 is * to promote modern structural system optimization and reliability theory, * to advance international cooperation in the field of structural system opti- mization and reliability theory, * to stimulate research, development and application of structural system op- timization and reliability theory, * to further the dissemination and exchange of information on reliability and optimization of structural system optimization and reliability theory, * to encourage education in structural system optimization and reliability the- ory. At present the members of the Working Group are: A.
H. S. Ang, USA M. R. Gorman, USA G. Augmti, Italy M. Grimmelt, Germany, F. R. M. J. Baker, United Kingdom N. C. Lind, Canada P. Bjerager, Norway H. O. Mad"en, Denmark A. Der Kiureghian, USA F. MO$e$, USA o. Ditlev"en, Denmark Y. Murol$u, Japan D. M. Frangopol, USA R. Rac/cwitz, Germany F. R.