Buildings and bridges are supported by foundations which in turn are supported by the ground. So in a very real sense, the ground is another of our engineering materials. However, the natural ground is spatially variable and quite uncertain, so there is uncertainty in the capacity, or resistance, of our foundations. One of Dr. Fenton's research goals is to estimate the distribution of the random foundation resistance and use that to develop safe, yet cost efficient, design standards.
There are many cases around the world of retaining wall failures, and these can be quite catastrophic. Current retaining wall design assumes that the ground being retained is spatially uniform, applying predictable pressures to the back of the wall. However, we know that in fact the ground is spatially variable, and the pressure it exerts on the wall varies randomly with position. This means that any retaining wall design has some probability of failure, and it is the topic of this research to quantify that probability and use that to arrive at safe designs that are also economical. The balance of cost versus safety is at the heart of all engineering design -- and this picture is an example of the research which aids in finding the correct balance.