Reliability Coupled Sensitivity-Based Seismic Analysis of Gravity Retaining Wall Using Pseudostatic Approach

Abstract

AbstractThe stability of geotechnical earth structures is often affected by associated uncertainties present in geotechnical parameters, if they are not properly accounted for. The present paper aims at quantifying these uncertainties and proposes a modification factor, namely probabilistic risk factor (Rf) for each geotechnical random variable. A gravity retaining wall is analyzed by a pseudostatic method of analysis against four modes of failure namely, sliding, overturning, eccentricity, and bearing. The effect of variation of properties of backfill and foundation soil on stability of the wall for various earthquake conditions is analyzed. Rf simultaneously identifies the effects of Pf of a gravity retaining wall subjected to earthquake loading and also the sensitivity of geotechnical random variables on different modes of failure. The geotechnical random variables are modified by Rf and applied in design. It is observed that, apart from the seismic horizontal and vertical pseudostatic acceleration coe...