Bearing capacity of spatially random rock masses obeying Hoek–Brown failure criterion

ABSTRACT

This paper presents a probabilistic analysis to compute the probability density function of the bearing capacity of a strip footing resting on a spatially varying rock mass. The rock is assumed to follow the generalised Hoek–Brown failure criterion. The uniaxial compressive strength of the intact rock (σc) was considered as a random field and the geological strength index was modelled as a random variable. The uncertainty propagation methodology employed in the analysis is the sparse polynomial chaos expansion. A global sensitivity analysis based on Sobol indices was performed. Some numerical results were presented and discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• Rock mechanics
• Hoek–Brown failure criterion
• bearing capacity
• probabilistic analysis
• spatial variability
• sparse polynomial chaos expansion

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

ORCiD

Tamara Al-Bittar http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3382-7069