µ s

H gwall l a f' d gsoil a b x* mean StDev nx

6 24 10 90 (x*, in radians) 18 0.4 1.8 f' 26.428 35 3.5 -2.449
0.1745 1.5708 0.4613 0.2711 d 15.534 20 2 -2.233
ca 100 100 15 0.000
Boxed cells contain
equations Correlation matrix
Steps for h
Ka Pa f' 1 0.8 0 Overturning
1 ( x ¿−μ ) (1) Copy m
0.3978 128.9 Pa = K a γH 2 nx= d 0.8 1 0
This initi
2 σ ca 0 0 1 (2) Click To
f' d ca
Force Arm Moment
Pav =SQRT(MMULT(TRANSPOSE(nx),MMULT(MINVERSE(crmat),nx
34.5202 1.8 62.1363 )))
W1 100.8 0.93333 94.08 Ctrl + Shift, then Enter
W2 57.6 1.6 92.16 PerFn1 b PerFn2
192.9 248.4 SM -1E-07 2.491 55.812
Overturning mode Sliding mode
Pah 124.2 2 248.4

l
(3) The relia
a design p
Soil: unit weight g
angle of friction f' Sliding Mod
(1) Copy me
1 (2) Click Too
Pa= K a γH 2
H W2 2
W1 d+a-90°

b Adhesion ca Stiff clay

Fig. 1. Reliability analysis of overturning failure mode and sliding mode, for correlated
normal random variables, using Microsoft Excel spreadsheet.
(3) Solution:
A separate
This workbook is provided by B. K. Low, author of "Reliability-based design applied to
retaining walls", Geotechnique, Vol. 55, No. 1, 63-75, 2005. The aim is to allow hands-on
experience and to enhance understanding of the reliability approach.

This Excel file is for hands-on reliability analysis of Figure 1 of the paper.

Steps for hands-on reliability analysis involving correlated normals

Overturning mode:
(1) Copy mean column (cells L3:L5), and paste onto x* column (cells K3:K5).
This initializes the x* values.
(2) Click Tools\Solver, with settings shown below as explained in the paper. Solve.

Need to select Screen capture of Solver

Solver in
Tools\Add-Ins, if
using it for the
first time.

(3) The reliability index b obtained by Solver is 2.491 (cell K15) for overturning mode. The
design point is defined by the solution values in the x* column (cells K3:K5).

Sliding Mode:
(1) Copy mean column (cells L3:L5), and paste onto x* column (cells K3:K5).
(2) Click Tools\Solver, change settings as shown below, then click Solve.

Screen capture of Solver

Select this

and change to:

$M$15 <= 0, where

$M$15 is selected by
clicking the PerFn2
cell.
(3) Solution: cells K3:K5, N3:N5, K15 and M15 will show values like those Then
in the Solve.
insert.
A separate Excel file provides the reliability-based design shown in Fig. 7 of the paper.