Stochastic analysis of uncertain temperature characteristics for expressway with wide subgrade in cold regions

Abstract In cold regions, it is more difficult to ensure the stability of wide embankment than ordinary embankment because of a larger heat absorption area. Also, the soil properties and the upper boundary conditions are stochastic because of complex geological processes and changeable atmospheric environment. However, the conventional finite element analysis of temperature characteristics for embankment is always deterministic, rather than taking stochastic parameters and conditions into account. In this paper, the upper boundary conditions are considered as stochastic processes and the soil properties are considered as random fields. A stochastic analysis model for the uncertain temperature characteristics of expressway embankment is presented. The stochastic finite element program is compiled by Matrix Laboratory (MATLAB) software, and the random temperature fields of an expressway embankment in a cold region are investigated by Neumann stochastic finite element method (NSFEM). The results show that the randomness of soil properties and boundary conditions play a different role at different times. NSFEM can solve the random temperature field for expressway embankment when the perturbations of random variables are more than 20%. It can improve our understanding of the random temperature field of expressway embankment and provide a theoretical basis for actual engineering design in cold regions.

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