Abstract
This paper presents a framework for a fully probabilistic analysis of the potential for damage to buildings adjacent to an excavation. Herein, the damage potential index (DPI), which is a function of angular distortion and lateral strain, is used to assess building damage potential. A serviceability limit state is established in which the resistance is expressed in terms of the “limiting” DPI, and the load is represented by the “applied” DPI. In this context, damage to the building adjacent to an excavation is said to occur deterministically if the applied DPI is greater than the limiting DPI. For the fully probabilistic analysis, both parameter and model uncertainties of the limiting and applied DPIs are first characterized. The analysis framework is then presented and demonstrated with a case history. Finally, sensitivity analysis is performed to identify the factors to which the probability of damage is most sensitive and to analyze the effect of various assumptions of the input parameters on the computed probability of building damage.