Reliability and Sensitivity Analysis of Gravity Retaining Wall Stability: Investigating the Effect of Construction Defects

The safety evaluation of retaining structures, especially in cases of potential instability or disaster, frequently depends on empirical methods that apply overall safety factors. In this article, an innovative approach employing probabilistic methods to assess the reliability of gravity retaining walls, considering uncertainties in parameters and their inherent variability, has been introduced. This study applies First Order Reliability Method (FORM) to assess the influence of construction defects and soil-structure friction on gravity wall reliability. his approach represents notable progress over traditional empirical methods, which rely on total safety factors and frequently manage uncertainties arbitrarily. The paper is indeed novel as it integrates probabilistic methods into the analysis of gravity retaining wall stability, offering a more nuanced understanding of the reliability of these structures. This contribution seeks to enhance safety assessments and rehabilitation strategies in civil engineering practices, with a focus on addressing uncertainties in geotechnical parameters and construction defects.