Problem of Uncertainties in Geotechnical Engineering

Different types of uncertainties are involved in the geotechnical engineering, for example, uncertainty of concept, uncertainty of material classification, soil parameters, constitutive or empirical models, boundary conditions, other uncertainty caused by measurement error, and so on. All these uncertainties affect the evaluation of the soil or structure performance, and they are required to be considered and analyzed for reliable evaluation results. According to the type of uncertainty, different analysis methods have been utilized to evaluate the uncertainty, for example, stochastic theory, fuzzy mathematics, theory of gray systems, artificial neural networks, genetic algorithms, and so on. In some cases, these methods are coupled to solve the uncertain problems. Among these methods, the probabilistic method in stochastic theory has been widely applied to many aspects of geotechnical engineering, for example, slope analysis, liquefaction analysis, reliability analysis of reinforced embankment, seepage analysis, soil–water characteristic curve, reducing uncertainties in empirical correlations, and so on.