Probability Aspects in Foundation Plate Design

The probabilistic design analyses a plate involving uncertain input parameters. These input parameters (geometry, material properties, boundary conditions, etc.) are defined in the software model. The variations of input parameters are defined as random input variables and are characterized by their distribution type (Gaussian, lognormal, etc.) and by their distribution parameters (mean values, standard deviation, etc.). During a probabilistic analysis, software executes multiple analysis loops to compute the random output parameters as a function of the set of random input variables. The values for the input variables are generated either randomly (using Monte Carlo simulation) or as prescribed samples (using Response Surface Methods). In the conclusion, some results of these probabilistic methods are presented.