Probabilistic Approaches for Geotechnical Site Characterization and Slope Stability Analysis

This is the first book to revisit geotechnical site characterization from a probabilistic point of view and provide rational tools to probabilistically characterize geotechnical properties and underground stratigraphy using limited information obtained from a specific site. This book not only provides new probabilistic approaches for geotechnical site characterization and slope stability analysis, but also tackles the difficulties in practical implementation of these approaches. In addition, this book also develops efficient Monte Carlo simulation approaches for slope stability analysis and implements these approaches in a commonly available spreadsheet environment. These approaches and the software package are readily available to geotechnical practitioners and alleviate them from reliability computational algorithms. The readers will find useful information for a non-specialist to determine project-specific statistics of geotechnical properties and to perform probabilistic analysis of slope stability.

Introduction.- Literature Review.- Bayesian Framework for Geotechnical Site Characterization.- Quantification of Prior Knowledge through Subjective Probability Assessment.- Probabilistic Characterization of Young's Modulus of Soils Using Standard Penetration Tests.- Probabilistic Site Characterization Using Cone Penetration Tests.- Practical Reliability Analysis of Slope Stability by Advanced Monte Carlo Simulations in a Spreadsheet.- Efficient Monte Carlo Simulation of Parameter Sensitivity in Probabilistic Slope Stability Analysis.- Summary and Concluding Remarks.

1st Author (Prof. Zijun Cao)
Dr. Cao is currently an Associate Professor in School of Water Resources and Hydropower Engineering in Wuhan University, China. He obtained his Ph.D from City University of Hong Kong in 2012 and has published 15 journal papers, most of which in the top international journals in Geotechnical Engineering and Reliability Engineering. He is also co-author of 20 conference papers. His major research interests focus on probabilistic geotechnical site characterization, probabilistic analysis and reliability-based design of geotechnical structures (e.g., slopes, foundations), and Bayesian analysis in geotechnical risk and reliability. He is an invited reviewer of several leading international journals, e.g., Journal of Geotechnical and Geo-environmental Engineering (ASCE), Canadian Geotechnical Journal, Engineering Geology, Structural Safety, Structural and Multidisciplinary Optimization, Georisk, etc.


2nd Author (Prof. Yu Wang)
Dr. Yu Wang is currently an Associate Professor in City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong. He obtained his Ph.D from Cornell University in 2006 and has published more than 30 journal papers, most of which in the Top 4 international journals in Geotechnical Engieering. Dr. Wang specializes in geotechnical risk and reliability, geotechnical earthquake engineering, lifeline systems, soil structure interaction, and soil property characterization using laboratory and field tests. He is the recipient of the first Wilson Tang Best Paper Award and is the member of ASCE Geo-Institute TC on Risk Assessment and Management, ISSMGE TC304 on Engineering Practice of Risk Assessment and Management, ISSMGE TC102 on Ground Property Characterization from In-Situ Tests. Dr. Wang was elected as the President of ASCE Hong Kong Section in 2012.

3rd Author (Prof. Dianqing Li)

Dr. Li is currently a Professor in School of Water Resources and Hydropower Engineering in Wuhan University, China. His major reseachareas focus on probabilistic modeling of uncertainties in geotechnical properties, probabilistic analysis of slope stability, risk assessment, management, and mitigation in geotechnical engineering. Dr. Li has published more than 40 journal papers in leading international journals in Geotechnical Engieering and Reliability Engieering. He is currently an editorial board member (EBM) of Georisk, an international journal dedicated to assessment and management of risk for engineered systems and geohazards, and an EBM of Journal of Risk and Uncertainty Analysis. He is a recipient of several academic awards in recognition of his significant contributions in geotechnical and reliability engineering, including the Distinguished Young Scholor Award of the National Science Foundation of China, the First Class Award in Scientific and Technological Progress of the Ministry of Education in China, Junior and Senior Leading Scientists, Engineers and Innovators Award of Ministry of Science and Technology in China.