Effects of soil spatial variability on structural reliability assessment in excavations

Abstract

In this study, the effects of soil spatial variability in braced excavations are investigated by focusing on three structural responses: wall bending moments, wall shear forces, and strut forces. The soil spatial variability is modeled using random field theory, and the generated soil parameters are mapped onto a finite element model. A procedure for automating the Monte Carlo simulation, which is used for probabilistic analysis, is described. A case study demonstrates that the soil spatial variability has a considerable effect on the excavation-induced structural responses. Furthermore, a reliability analysis is performed to estimate the failure probability for three structural failure modes. The results demonstrate the importance of considering soil spatial variability in the structural assessment of braced excavations.