Geotechnical engineering deals with large uncertainties compared to other engineering domains. Our estimates of soil and rock properties are based on a limited amount of site investigation, while spatial variability is large. Hence, it is not surprising that reliability and risk approaches have undergone a rapid development in academia in the last decades, but there are also increasing numbers of applications to practical projects. Furthermore, guidelines for reliability-based assessment of geotechnical structures are being developed along with the next-generation Eurocodes.

As infrastructures age and many structures approach their design life, another rapidly growing demand is the reliability assessment of existing structures. Such assessments call for the use of observations of performance, measurements, and monitoring data to update reliability estimates.

Course description

This course focuses provides geotechnical practitioners and (graduate) students with the basics of reliability and risk analysis applied to geotechnical engineering, as well as an overview of recent applications and developments. Course participants will be able to carry out basic reliability analyses of geotechnical applications themselves using the Probabilistic Toolkit (free Deltares software), and they will be enabled to critically judge and interpret the results of reliability analyses carried out by others. Our aim is to provide a stepping stone to use reliability concepts to your advantage in your geotechnical engineering practice, providing added value to your clients and stakeholders.

Topics covered include probability, reliability and risk fundamentals and application of reliability and reliability updating to pile foundations, dikes and levees, as well as deep excavations. Lectures on the theoretical backgrounds will be accompanied by hands-on exercises and demonstrations of state-of-the-art applications, plus how things are embedded in the upcoming Eurocode guidelines.

For whom?

The course is targeted at practicing engineers who would like to extend their toolbox by developing and enhancing their probabilistic skills, as well as (PhD)students working in in geotechnical reliability and risk. The course starts with the basics of reliability analysis extending further to advanced applications. Participants are expected to have undergraduate-level knowledge of statistics and probability theory (will be recapped briefly).

Program

Please see the brochure for more information about the course program.

Fee

The registration fee for this two-day course is € 1.199,- excluding VAT.
50% discount for lecturers at centers of education. To qualify for the discount, please contact Deltares Academy.

Course leaders

• Dr. Timo Schweckendiek (Deltares & Delft University of Technology)
• Dr. Wim Kanning (Deltares).

Course dates

Thursday 14 September: 9.15 – 17.00 CEST (GMT+2)
Friday 15 September: 9.15 – 17.00 CEST (GMT+2).

Location

Deltares, Boussinesqweg 1 in Delft (The Netherlands).

Registration

This course is part of the Delft Software Days - Edition 2023 (DSD-INT 2023). You can register for this course via the DSD-INT 2023 website. 

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