edited by Kok-Kwang Phoon (National University of Singapore, Singapore) , Yusuke Honjo (Gifu University, Japan) , & Robert B Gilbert (University of Texas at Austin, USA)

This publication contains the abstracts of 20 papers, the majority of which were presented at the International Workshop on Limit State Design in Geotechnical Engineering Practice (LSD2003). The complete contributions are available in the accompanying CD-ROM (special lecture not included). The topics covered include: performance-based and limit state design philosophies; issues arising from the implementation of limit state design codes; elaborations of “measured values”, “derived values” and “characteristic values”; reliability-based methodologies for analytical calibration of partial factors; and application of partial factors in FEM where highly nonlinear force-deformation behaviors may govern.

• Limit States Foundation Design Code Development in Canada (D E Becker)
• Geotechnical Acceptance of Limit State Design Methods (J T Christian)
• Reliability-Based Design as a Decision-Making Tool (R B Gilbert)
• Comprehensive Design Codes Development in Japan: Geo-Code 21 Ver. 3 and Code PLATFORM Ver. 1 (Y Honjo)
• New Directions in LRFD for Soil Nailing Design and Specifications (C A Lazarte et al.)
• Practical Lessons Learned from Applying the Reliability Methods to LRFD for the Analysis of Deep Foundations (S G Paikowsky)
• Why Consider Reliability Analysis for Geotechnical Limit State Design? (K K Phoon et al.)
• Use of Finite Element Methods in Geotechnical Limit State Design (B Simpson & M Yazdchi)
• Implementation of the AASHTO LRFD Bridge Design Specifications for Substructure Design (J L Withiam)
• and other papers