Reliability analysis of rigid piles subjected to lateral loads

Computations of rigid piles by Brinch Hansen method demonstrates high sensitivity of ultimate lateral loading to precise determination of the rotation centre of the pile under consideration. The position of the centre is affected by some random factors, for example random variability of soil properties and loading applied. To investigate effects of such a variability a reliability approach was suggested. Final results show a large effect of the friction angle random fluctuations on the variation of the ultimate lateral loading. The necessity of the use of high values of total safety factors when the Brinch Hansen approach is applied was demonstrated.