Optimisation of earthworks for road schemes

Abstract

The principal objective of this thesis is the development of a stochastic risk assessment methodology for earthworks for roads schemes. The proposed methodology is intended to make the best possible use of past investigation records and expert opinion to quantify the level of exposure to the financial project risk associated with a particular alignment at route selection stage from an earthworks perspective. From a literature review of the quantification and modelling of uncertainty in geotechnical engineering it became evident that stochastic modelling is an excellent method of quantifying geotechnical risk created by uncertain parameters.