Introduction

Abstract

Dealing with the earth involves substantial uncertainty. Uncertainties range from inherit variations of ground and groundwater profile, their strength, compressibility and hydraulic characteristics and their responses to additional stresses imposed on them. In addition to their variation of profile, their strength, stiffness and compressibilities and hydraulic characteristics vary across the area as well as along the depth they existed. To make the situation worse, their ability to absorb water and capacity to flow through porous media within them are also varied. Moreover, when additional stresses are imposed on the soils and rocks, the magnitudes, rates, and directions of stresses are varied. Stresses transferred onto the soils and ground/pore water could also be varied depending upon the behaviour of soil structure interaction which also varies depending upon the type of soil. To make things worse, changes in environmental conditions such as change in surface and ground water levels/pressures, temperature also could lead to change in the performance of soils and rocks under additional stresses. These changes impact performance of the ground and groundwater/porewater contained in the ground. Significant variations beyond the tolerable deformation could lead to failure of infrastructure built on the ground.