Application of random set method in a deep excavation: based on a case study in Tehran cemented alluvium

The design of high-rise buildings often necessitates ground excavation, where buildings are in close proximity to the construction, thus there is a potential for damage to these structures. This paper studies an efficient user-friendly framework for dealing with uncertainties in a deep excavation in layers of cemented coarse grained soil located in Tehran, Iran by non-deterministic Random Set (RS) method. In order to enhance the acceptability of the method among engineers, a pertinent code was written in FISH language of FLAC2D software which enables the designers to run all simulations simultaneously, without cumbersome procedure of changing input variables in every individual analysis. This could drastically decrease the computational effort and cost imposed to the project, which is of great importance especially to the owners. The results are presented in terms of probability of occurrence and most likely values of the horizontal displacement at top of the wall at every stage of construction. Moreover, a methodology for assessing the credibility of the uncertainty model is presented using a quality indicator. It was concluded that performing RS analysis before the beginning of every stage could cause great economical savings, while improving the safety of the project.