Prognosis of Discrete Layer Boundaries for Synthetic Geological Models and Their Influence on Geotechnical Structures

Considering related subsoil uncertainties in geotechnical analysis is a key factor for robust and sustainable designs as the subsoil is the main load-bearing domain. Consequently, a holistic framework is proposed that integrates a conceptual geological model, stochastic stratigraphy simulations, and parametric Finite Element analyses to evaluate the geotechnical zone of influence as a metric to identify areas where the geological uncertainty significantly impacts geotechnical structures. In a synthetic case study, the methodology is demonstrated, highlighting that the propagation of geological uncertaintyto geotechnical analysis is non-uniform over the investigated domain. Additionally, the holistic framework enables the optimization of site investigations and allows for the assessment and improvement of geotechnical design robustness.

Keywords: Geological uncertainty, Geotechnical design, Finite Element analysis, Layer boundary uncertainty.