Reliability-Based Geotechnical Design

Introduction 

Because of its large inherent uncertainty, geotechnical engineering is increasingly moving towards reliability-based design. This means designs which account for the random nature of the ground and other uncertainties in a rational fashion, and are aimed to achieve a societally acceptable lifetime reliability. The short course begins by reviewing basic probability theory and the probabilistic modelling of geotechnical structures. We then elaborate on how to do reliability-based design using recently published Eurocode guidelines. The short course will finish by looking at examples from practice, highlighting success factors, benefits and pitfalls of reliability-based geotechnical design.

Topics Covered

1. Basic probability theory and random variables
2. Probabilistic modelling of geotechnical systems
3. Reliability and probability of failure
4. Reliability-based design and assessment (based on Eurocode guidelines)
5. Practical examples
6. Success factors, benefits and pitfalls

Speakers

1. Gordon A. Fenton (Dalhousie University, Canada)
2. Timo Schweckendiek (Deltares & Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands)