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RELIABILITY ASSESSMENT OF EUROCODE 7 RETAINING STRUCTURES DESIGN METHODOLOGY (2011)
This paper is a contribution for the application of Eurocode 7 design methodology, based on the limit state design (LSD) approach. The design methodology of Eurocode 7 is applied to a concrete gravity retaining structure resting on a relatively homogeneous c-φ s oil, a nd t he different design approaches are compared to deterministic and semi-probabilistic solutions, considering the bearing resistance failure of the foundation. A reliability assessment is performed for different conditions, selecting different geotechnical parameters, particularly characteristic values and coefficients of variation of soil properties, and taking into account the effects of vertical fluctuation scale by using a simplified approach. Several uncorrelated and correlated random variables are considered, and probabilistic solutions are achieved and compared with a target ultimate limit state reliability index β for a medium risk structure and fifty years reference period, considered as 3.8. For this purpose, reliability techniques such as the first-order reliability method (FORM) and the Monte Carlo simulation (MCS) are applied and compared to other methodologies. Based on the obtained results, the Eurocode 7 design methodology is discussed, and the indispensable engineering judgment is outlined
ISGSR 2011 - Vogt, Schuppener, Straub & Bräu (eds) - © 2011 Bundesanstalt für Wasserbau
Department of Civil Engineering, Porto
Portugal