Uncertainty of Initial Information in Reliability Assessment of Concrete Dams (Within the Framework of Structural Theory)

Abstract

Questions related to uncertainty in initial information that arise in reliability assessement of concrete gravity dams on bedrock foundations are considered from the standpoint of structural reliability theory. An application of the proposed technique of reliability assessment of structures is demonstrated, using as an example one section of the dam of the Krasnoyarsk hydroelectric power plant. It is shown that through a transition from a deterministic to a probabilistic method and further on to a possibility method a correct reliability assessment can be achieved under the conditions of high levels of uncertainty of the initial data.