Probabilistic geotechnical stability analysis of wooden crib walls: initial insights

Nature-based solutions (NBS) provide sustainable technical means to achieve sustainable geotechnical engineering design following soil and water bioengineering principles. Wooden crib walls represent one of the most effective NBS for the stabilization of slopes or banks. Geotechnical systems involving NBS are pervaded by significant aleatory and epistemic uncertainties. Despite the ongoing regulatory evolution which shifts design paradigms towards non-deterministic formats, the design of vegetated crib walls typically relies on empiricism and experience. The paucity of quantitative engineering design methods compatible with current design formats hinders the diffusion of geotechnical NBS. This paper aims to contribute to the stepwise development of code-compatible geotechnical design methods for wooden crib walls by providing a simplified case-study application of probabilistic analysis of external stability and by comparing the results with the outputs of the deterministic approach.