A review of time-dependent reliability analyses of slopes: Research progress, influencing factors, and future research directions

The reliability analysis and evaluation of slope has made great progress recently. It gradually extends from a time invariant random system to a time-varying random system. Therefore, this study aims to summarize and review the development and the state of the art in time-dependent reliability assessment approaches in the field of generalized slope engineering such as highway and railway embankment, earth dam and anchored slope. The review classifies a variety of comprehensive complex deterioration environments that affect the long-term per-formance of generalized slopes. And then it combs and summarizes systematically the latest development of time-varying reliability evaluation methods of generalized slope engineering under the influence of external environmental excitation and internal geotechnical parameters and retaining structure deterioration, and the corresponding calculation example of time-varying reliability evaluation of slope engineering is also given in this study. This study also describes the essential difference between slope time-dependent reliability analysis method and classical time-independent reliability evaluation method. Research results indicate that the acquisition of the evolution of probability density function is an important premise to obtain the time-varying reliability of slope, and it is necessary to introduce new possible research directions such as time-varying optimization design method and new slope engineering reinforcement technology.

Automated summary

This study reviews the development and current status of time-dependent reliability assessment methods in the field of generalized slope engineering, classifying various deteriorating environments affecting long-term slope performance. It systematically summarizes the latest time-varying reliability evaluation methods and highlights the importance of evolving probability density functions. Possible future research directions, such as time-varying optimization design methods and new slope engineering reinforcement technologies, are also suggested.