An analytical approach to reliability assessment of the shear wave velocity relationship

During an earthquake, seismic waves propagate vibrations that carry energy from the source of the shaking outwards. Seismic waves can be distinguished by the velocity and shape of propagation. The velocity of waves depends on the elastic properties and density of the soil layers through which the waves pass. Probabilistic analysis of earthquake waves can be used as an eective tool to evaluate inherent uncertainty in the soil properties and the resulting uncertainty in site classication. In this research, the jointly distributed random variables method is used for probabilistic analysis and reliability assessment of the shear wave velocity relationship. The selected stochastic parameters are density, elastic modulus and Poissonʹs ratio which are modeled using truncated normal probability distribution functions. The results are compared with the Monte Carlo simulation, point estimated method and rst order second moment method. Comparison of the results indicates very good performance of the proposed approach for assessment of reliability. It is shown that this method can correctly predict the in uence of stochastic input parameters and capture the expected probability distribution of shear wave velocity correctly. It is also shown that the modulus of elasticity is the most eective parameter in shear wave velocity.