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SUMMARY:System Performance in Geotechnical Engineering: Concept\, Methodol
 ogy and Applications - Professor Gang Zheng\, Director of the Technical Ce
 ntre for Advanced Construction and Safety of Underground Engineering\, Sch
 ool of Civil Engineering\, Tianjin University
DTSTART:20190611T150000Z
DTEND:20190611T160000Z
UID:TALK126106@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Magdalena Charytoniuk
DESCRIPTION:The geotechnical structures are usually designed using the ele
 ment-by-element methods rather than the systems-based approaches. A large 
 number of failure case histories of geotechnical structures have occurred 
 in recent years although they have sufficient factor of safety. The design
 ed geotechnical structures may lack of integrity and enough redundancy. Th
 e local failure of one geotechnical structural element may result in a cha
 in reaction that causes other adjoining elements to fail in a domino effec
 t\, which in turn cause widespread structural failure or even collapse. Th
 e system performance concept calls for the geotechnical system to have eno
 ugh robustness and redundancy to prevent from collapses or failures induce
 d by the localized damage or weakness. It is the duty of the geotechnical 
 engineers to consider the environment-friendly\, cost-effective and social
 ly-acceptable choices for the design and construction of geotechnical stru
 ctures. This lecture will briefly introduce the concept of system performa
 nce in geotechnical engineering. Emphasis of letting geotechnical systems 
 have enough robustness and redundancy is performed to prevent them from co
 llapses or failures induced by the local damage or weakness. Several case 
 histories of excavations\, tunneling\, and column-supported embankments wi
 ll be analyzed in this lecture. The control methodologies to optimize the 
 design and improve the system safety performance will also be presented.
LOCATION:Cambridge University Engineering Department- Lecture Room 5\, Tru
 mpington Street\, Cambridge CB2 1PX
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