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Interval Fields for Geotechnical Engineering Uncertainty Analysis under Limited Data

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleResearchpeer review

Authors

  • Chengxin Feng
  • Matteo Broggi
  • Yue Hu
  • Matthias G.R. Faes
  • Michael Beer

Research Organisations

External Research Organisations

  • TU Dortmund University
  • University of Liverpool
  • Tongji University

Details

Original languageEnglish
Article number04025004
JournalASCE-ASME Journal of Risk and Uncertainty in Engineering Systems, Part A: Civil Engineering
Volume11
Issue number2
Early online date20 Jan 2025
Publication statusE-pub ahead of print - 20 Jan 2025

Abstract

Spatial uncertainty is a critical challenge in many engineering fields. To date, probabilistic methods have been applied to describe the uncertainty of engineering parameters with considerable achievements. However, they rely heavily on the availability of large quantities of informative data, but in practice, acquiring enough informative data is impossible. This paper proposes an interval field-based framework to analyze the influence of parameter uncertainty on their safety performance under sparse test data, in which the locations of test values are taken into account. It also considers uncertainties in stratigraphy and spatial properties in the geotechnical engineering case, allowing the research framework to utilize more available test information compared with previous studies. First, the interval field samples based on B-spline basis functions are generated, allowing for flexibility in accounting for realistic situations and integrating measured data from in situ exploration. Then, the finite-element strength-reduction method is used to estimate the safety factor (fs) of geotechnical engineering. Subsequently, a Bayesian global optimization is used to efficiently evaluate the upper and lower bounds of the fs interval. Finally, three geotechnical engineering cases are presented to illustrate the validity of the proposed framework. This framework provides new insights into engineering uncertainty analysis even with sparse data, highlighting its potential for practical applications in geotechnical engineering projects.

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Cite this

Interval Fields for Geotechnical Engineering Uncertainty Analysis under Limited Data. / Feng, Chengxin; Broggi, Matteo; Hu, Yue et al.
In: ASCE-ASME Journal of Risk and Uncertainty in Engineering Systems, Part A: Civil Engineering, Vol. 11, No. 2, 04025004, 06.2025.

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleResearchpeer review

Feng, C, Broggi, M, Hu, Y, Faes, MGR & Beer, M 2025, 'Interval Fields for Geotechnical Engineering Uncertainty Analysis under Limited Data', ASCE-ASME Journal of Risk and Uncertainty in Engineering Systems, Part A: Civil Engineering, vol. 11, no. 2, 04025004. https://doi.org/10.1061/AJRUA6.RUENG-1467
Feng, C., Broggi, M., Hu, Y., Faes, M. G. R., & Beer, M. (2025). Interval Fields for Geotechnical Engineering Uncertainty Analysis under Limited Data. ASCE-ASME Journal of Risk and Uncertainty in Engineering Systems, Part A: Civil Engineering, 11(2), Article 04025004. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1061/AJRUA6.RUENG-1467
Feng C, Broggi M, Hu Y, Faes MGR, Beer M. Interval Fields for Geotechnical Engineering Uncertainty Analysis under Limited Data. ASCE-ASME Journal of Risk and Uncertainty in Engineering Systems, Part A: Civil Engineering. 2025 Jun;11(2):04025004. Epub 2025 Jan 20. doi: 10.1061/AJRUA6.RUENG-1467
Feng, Chengxin ; Broggi, Matteo ; Hu, Yue et al. / Interval Fields for Geotechnical Engineering Uncertainty Analysis under Limited Data. In: ASCE-ASME Journal of Risk and Uncertainty in Engineering Systems, Part A: Civil Engineering. 2025 ; Vol. 11, No. 2.
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