Reliability analysis for vertical bearing capacity of piles based on the maximum entropy principle

Based on the dimensionless calculation mode, each random variable in the limit state equation influencing the reliability of the vertical bearing capacity of piles is analyzed, and the maximum entropy principle is used to transform the iterative calculation of reliability index into the entropy density function calculation. The Newton iterative method is used in the calculation of entropy density function, by which the non-convergence issue in the calculation for the vertical bearing capacity of piles is solved. The data adopted in calculation directly source from the samples, and thus the reliance on the existing data and the classical probability distribution functions is reduced. Meanwhile, the failure probability of vertical bearing capacity of pile is calculated by using the dimensionless calculation mode. The results from a case study indicate that the presented method in this paper is valid and the calculation efficiency and accuracy are satisfactory.