General

The purpose of this course is to teach probabilistic data science developed in the past decades for uncertainty modeling, reliability assessment, reliability updating, and decision making for civil engineering applications, which a particular focus on geotechnical engineering and engineering geology. The course consists of the following four modules: (1) analytical models for modeling uncertain phenomena; (2) reliability methods; (3) reliability-based design, and (4) Bayesian updating in civil engineering.

History & highlights

This is the 9th time that the course is offered as a MOOC. There are ample examples for illustrating the details of the theories, methods, and algorithms related to reliability theory in civil engineering. The knowledge learnt can be easily extended for many other applications.

Textbook

In 2021, the textbook of this course has also been published by Tongji University Press. In 2023, a revised version of the textbook has been published by Springer (Geotechnical Reliability Analysis: Theories, Methods and Algorithms | SpringerLink). You can find more examples, Matlab codes, and exercises for different algorithms in the textbook. Detailed literature review and discussions on future development on different topics are also provided at the end of each chapter of the textbook.

Zhang, J., Xiao, T., Ji, J., Zeng, P., and Cao, Z.J. 2021. Geotechnical Reliability Analysis:

Theories, Methods, and Algorithms. Shanghai: Tongji University Press. 

张洁，肖特，姬建，曾鹏，曹子君. 2021. 岩土工程可靠性分析：理论、方法和算法. 上海：同济大学出版社

The 2023 Springer version of the above textbook is available at the following link:

 https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-981-19-6254-7

The purpose of this course is to teach students at the graduate level in the discipline of civil engineering about how to model uncertainties, how to perform reliability analysis, how to calibrate design codes based on reliability theory, and how to reduce uncertainties.

(1) Knowledge the probability theory in the undergraduate level is a prerequirement for this course.

(2) Knowledge in civil engineering in the undergraduate level is a prerequirement of this course.

Textbook

(1)Zhang, J., Xiao, T., Ji, J., Zeng, P., and Cao, Z.J. 2021. Geotechnical Reliability Analysis: Theories, Methods, and Algorithms. Shanghai: Tongji University Press. (The Springer version is available at: Geotechnical Reliability Analysis: Theories, Methods and Algorithms | SpringerLink)（张洁，肖特，姬建，曾鹏，曹子君. 2021. 岩土工程可靠性分析：理论、方法与算法. 上海：同济大学出版社）

References

(2) Ang, A.H.-S., and Tang, W.H. 2007. Probability concepts in engineering: emphasis on applications to civil and environmental engineering. Vol. 1. 2nd ed. Wiley, New York

(3) Ang, A.H.-S., and Tang, W.H. 1984. Probability concepts in engineering planning and design: design, risk and reliability. Vol. 2. Wiley, New York.