Guidelines for Probabilistic Performance-Based Seismic Design and Assessment of Slope Engineering

Seismic performance evaluation in geotechnical and slope engineering has made great progress thanks to arduous efforts by a multitude of researchers. However, performance-based seismic design (PBSD) theory has not been fully used in the seismic design practice of slope engineering owing to the dynamic coupling effects amidst earthquake excitation stochasticity, the spatial variability of three-dimensional rock and soil mass, and the strongly nonlinear and dilatancy effects of the stress–strain relationship. The primary task in this direction is to establish an overall performance-based seismic design and evaluation framework in the field of slope engineering to meet the dynamic seismic safety needs for geotechnical engineering such as slope. The next major challenge in the field of PBSD assessment of slope engineering is to change the seismic analysis method of slope engineering from limit state design to nonlinear dynamic deformation evaluation based on time-domain analysis, not only in academic fields but also in engineering practice. A PBSD framework and guideline for slope engineering are established based on stochastic dynamics theory in combination with a series of deterministic analyses including time-domain nonlinear dynamic analysis and stochastic dynamics. This chapter briefly introduces the main contents of this book and summarizes a series of improvements made to the seismic performance evaluation framework in the field of slope stochastic dynamics.

This chapter introduces some technical terms and abbreviations used in the procedure of seismic dynamic performance design and assessment for generalized slope engineering in this book.

This chapter systematically establishes the overall framework of performance-based seismic design (PBSD) and evaluation of slope engineering. The characteristics of seismic dynamic safety design and evaluation of slope engineering are also presented considering many aspects that may be involved in the PBSD of slope engineering. The specific processes and contents of seismic performance design and evaluation of generalized slopes, such as slope engineering and earth dams, are explained individually according to the PBSD framework, thus laying a foundation for the development of specific relevant content in subsequent chapters.

The ground motion excitation of a slope engineering site is an important premise for its seismic dynamic safety performance evaluation. This chapter introduces different seismic excitation modes of slope sites based on incremental dynamic analysis theory, and from aspects such as the strong earthquake observation database, and artificial seismic synthesis. This chapter also introduces the main processes and corresponding advantages and disadvantages of four methods.

The seismic dynamic response analysis of slope engineering is an important part of the framework of slope seismic performance design and evaluation, as proposed in Chap. 3, which is developed upon determining the seismic ground motion excitation of the slope engineering site. Slope seismic response analysis methods can generally be divided into the quasi-static method, response spectrum method, nonlinear dynamic time-history analysis method, and large deformation analysis method. Under seismic dynamic action, the large deformation analysis method can well represent the dynamic disaster process caused by impact failure after slope instability. These methods can also be integrated to describe the entire evolution process of the slope seismic performance state. The full process analysis of slopes under seismic dynamic action can be realized by integrating the large deformation analysis under seismic dynamic action from plastic finite deformation to crack occurrence and development, and ultimately to the final unstable flow.

This chapter introduces several analysis methods for evaluating the probabilistic seismic performance of slopes based on random reliability analysis, and considering the spatial uncertainty of slope geotechnical parameters and the randomness of ground motion intensity frequency. The practicability, advantages, and disadvantages of the various methods are discussed.

To better explain and understand the above-mentioned slope engineering probabilistic anti-seismic performance design and assessment process, we present here the specific seismic design and application process of earth dams and slopes, which represent a relatively mature field in anti-seismic design cases of slope engineering. A detailed description is provided as a reference to help the readers learn and master the provided design framework.

This chapter summarizes the main content of the probabilistic seismic performance design framework of slope engineering presented in this book, and the possible development directions of the framework are proposed as an inspiration for all readers.