Updating Uncertain Soil Parameters by Maximum Likelihood Method for Predicting Maximum Ground and Wall Movements in Braced Excavations

Abstract

In this paper, an efficient framework based on the maximum likelihood principle for inverse analysis of soil parameters in braced excavations is proposed. With this framework, the observed maximum ground settlement and maximum wall deflection are used to back-calculate soil parameters through a semi-empirical model. The updated soil parameters from the current stage of excavation can be used to predict the maximum ground settlement and maximum wall deflection in the subsequent stages of excavations. The proposed framework is computationally efficient and can easily be implemented in a spreadsheet. The effectiveness of the proposed framework is illustrated with a well documented excavation case. The results of the case study show that the updated soil parameters improve the accuracy of predictions of the wall and ground responses in a braced excavation.