A Bayesian Approach in the Evaluation of Unit Weight of Mineral and Organic Soils Based on Dilatometer Tests (DMT)

Rabarijoely Rabarijoely

doi:10.3390/app9183779

Abstract

Recently, geotechnical problems that are characterized by a high degree of complexity and uncertainty with respect to input data have been solved using Bayesian analysis. One example is the problem of cautious estimation of geotechnical parameters according to Eurocode 7 requirements. The research included various types of soil such as peat, gyttja, organic mud, and clays. These were studied in order to develop an empirical correlation for determining the unit weight of mineral and organic soils. The compiled database of documented field research sites for different types of soil was used to investigate and develop direct relationships between measured results and dilatometer (DMT) readings, i.e., po and p1 together with pore water pressure (uo) and pressure (Pa). The soil unit weights were determined for both mineral and organic soils. The paper addresses the applicability of the Bayesian approach in geotechnics via a simple example related to the determination of characteristic values of geotechnical parameters for design structures. The results show that it is possible to conduct a more reliable forecast with improved statistical measures compared to other available methods for multilayer subsoils.

Highlights

According to the compulsory construction standards in Poland, each project that applies for a building permit should, depending on the needs, contain geological and engineering data.This documentation should consist of developed field and laboratory test results [1]
The paper proposes a new formula for determining the unit weight of mineral and organic soils based on a multifactorial relationship
The maximum and mean square relative deviation values obtained for the proposed dependence indicate that the dependencies—taking into account the three factors—give the smallest mean square relative deviation

Summary

Introduction

According to the compulsory construction standards in Poland, each project that applies for a building permit should, depending on the needs, contain geological and engineering data. This documentation should consist of developed field and laboratory test results [1]. Deduction in classical mathematical statistics is based on random samples drawn from a given population. In an alternative approach, derived from the Bayes’ theorem [5,6,7,8,9], deduction can be based on a random sample, and on a priori information. If the same data can be used in both cases, classical and Bayesian analysis would give similar conclusions.

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