Probabilistic Assessment on Stability of Slopes Reinforced with Piles Considering Spatial Variability of Soil Properties

Abstract

The spatial variability is an inherent property of soil materials, which heavily affected the failure probability of slope. In the present study, deterministic analysis with factor of safety and reliability analysis in uniform soil grounds and spatial variable soil conditions are successively carried out to investigate the effect of uncertainties and the spatial variability of soil on the stability of slope reinforced with piles using random limit equilibrium method (RLEM). The optimal location and length of pile are also analysed based on the calculation results of RLEM, which is inconsistent with the results of traditional deterministic method. The obtained results demonstrate the significant effect of the spatial variability on the failure probability of slope reinforced with pile.