Vol. 1 No. 1 (2026)
Random-Field Modelling of Cohesion and Friction Angle for Reliability Assessment of Soil-Nailed Slopes
Aduot Madit Anhiem
DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.19186385
Published: March 23, 2026
Abstract
Soil spatial variability is the primary source of uncertainty governing the reliability of geotechnical slopes. This paper presents a random field (RF) framework for characterising cohesion (c′) and friction angle (φ′) as spatially correlated Gaussian fields, discretised via the Karhunen–Loève expansion and propagated through a Monte Carlo Simulation (MCS) and Adaptive Radial Based Importance Sampling (ARBIS) reliability loop applied to a soil-nailed slope. Five random field realisations demonstrate that non-negligible failure probabilities (7–46%) persist even when the mean factor of safety significantly exceeds unity—an outcome attributable to localised weak zones within spatially heterogeneous soil. Failure surfaces exhibit both linear and non-linear geometries, revealing failure pathways invisible to deterministic approaches.
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How to Cite
Aduot Madit Anhiem (2026). Random-Field Modelling of Cohesion and Friction Angle for Reliability Assessment of Soil-Nailed Slopes. African Geotechnical Engineering, Vol. 1 No. 1 (2026). https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19186385
Keywords
▸ Random field theory
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Vol. 1 No. 1 (2026)
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African Geotechnical Engineering
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