Safety issues, risk analysis, hazard management and control

The occurrence of hazard events in geotechnical practice is often associated with geotechnical uncertainties. To prevent hazard events from happening or reduce the impacts of their consequence, sources of geotechnical uncertainties need to be identified and treated, and appropriate control measure has to be implemented throughout a project. The probabilistic methods are the devices dealing with uncertainties and the risk management is the technique to facilitate achieving the goal of project safety. The papers presented in this theme are summarized and briefly discussed in three categories – risk and decision analysis, geotechnical control, and analysis and control of ground response. In risk analysis, geotechnical uncertainties need to be treated explicitly. Results of risk analysis, qualitatively or quantitatively, not only provide a baseline for decision making but also insights to the problem of concern. In order to make best use of available analysis tools, more case studies are needed.