A systematic review and meta-analysis of artificial neural network application in geotechnical engineering: theory and applications

Artificial neural network (ANN) aimed to simulate the behavior of the nervous system as well as the human brain. Neural network models are mathematical computing systems inspired by the biological neural network in which try to constitute animal brains. ANNs recently extended, presented, and applied by many research scholars in the area of geotechnical engineering. After a comprehensive review of the published studies, there is a shortage of classification of study and research regarding systematic literature review about these approaches. A review of the literature reveals that artificial neural networks is well established in modeling retaining walls deflection, excavation, soil behavior, earth retaining structures, site characterization, pile bearing capacity (both skin friction and end-bearing) prediction, settlement of structures, liquefaction assessment, slope stability, landslide susceptibility mapping, and classification of soils. Therefore, the present study aimed to provide a systematic review of methodologies and applications with recent ANN developments in the subject of geotechnical engineering. Regarding this, a major database of the web of science has been selected. Furthermore, meta-analysis and systematic method which called PRISMA has been used. In this regard, the selected papers were classified according to the technique and method used, the year of publication, the authors, journals and conference names, research objectives, results and findings, and lastly solution and modeling. The outcome of the presented review will contribute to the knowledge of civil and/or geotechnical designers/practitioners in managing information in order to solve most types of geotechnical engineering problems. The methods discussed here help the geotechnical practitioner to be familiar with the limitations and strengths of ANN compared with alternative conventional mathematical modeling methods.