Probabilistic analysis of pore water pressures of an earth dam using a random finite element approach based on field data

Knowledge of pore water pressure in an earth dam is crucial for analyzing its mechanical stability. In classical calculations of these pressures, great uncertainty exists regarding the permeability of the materials and the representation of their spatial variability. In this article, a probabilistic analysis of pore water pressures based on field data is performed to represent the permeability with a 2D random field established from statistical and geostatistical analyzes. This random field is introduced in a model based on the Finite Element Method (FEM) and the influence of the spatial variability of permeability on pore water pressure is then studied using Monte-Carlo simulations (MCS).