Reliability assessment of flexible dolphins: Reducing uncertainty in the design approach of flexible dolphins

The abstract outlines a study focusing on improving the design approach for flexible dolphins, vital marine structures used for vessel berthing and mooring. Current design methodologies, particularly those outlined in the CROW C1005 handbook (2018), are questioned due to potential conservatism stemming from insufficiently calibrated partial...

Reliability-based updating of anchor capacity

This research focuses on reliability-based, Bayesian updating of grout anchors’ bearing capacity. Firstly, grouted anchors are commonly used in practice, even though large uncertainties surround their bearing capacity. Secondly, every anchor must be tested on their working load for quality assurance. Because of the combination of those two...

Bayesian system identification of civil engineering structures using high resolution optic fibre measurements and surrogate modelling

Bayesian system identification has been extensively adopted in Structural Health Monitoring as a way to probabilistically infer unobservable parameters of the physical model of a structure using measurement data. Combining the Bayesian approach with distributed optic fibre sensors can potentially improve the accuracy and reduce the uncertainty...

Enhancing reliability of dikes: An approach for assessing benefits of pore pressure monitoring and pressure relief wells in spatially variable soils

The Netherlands is a country prone to flooding. Recent assessments led to the insight that protection levels of many flood defences should be increased. Integrating reinforcement measures is a difficult task as many dikes are situated in densely populated areas. Conventional reinforcement measures include berm construction or the implementation...

Load testing of a quay wall: Evaluating the use of load testing by application of Bayesian updating

The design and reassessment of quays is subject to uncertainties. Examples of these uncertainties are the soil parameters, soil behavior and the current state of the structural parts. Especially in the reassessment of existing structures it is hard to prove a quay to be safe. In this thesis Bayesian updating is used as a method to reduce this...