Application of the ANFIS to analysis of results from soil testings

The article was analyzed in order to test applicability and capability of the ANFIS tool used for interpretation of results of triaxial shear tests on loamy soils sampled near Olsztyn. The ANFIS system in the Matlab software programme was used to model and determine relationships between the shear stress and soil resistance parameters in a triaxial shear test apparatus. It has been demonstrated that the achieved shear strength parameters are significantly affected by the variables tested during the triaxial experiments and physical parameters of a given soil sample, but also by the loading increment rate during the tests. It is extremely important to adjust the rate of loading during a test according to the preliminary characterization of a tested ground sample so as to have some control over the obtained ground strength parameters. The neuro-fuzzy model has been constructed based on a set of values obtained after a series of experimental tests, including values of ground shear strength parameters. The database used for the neuro-fuzzy modelling consisted of 6 different ground parameters for each of the 12 shear stress rates applied during the triaxial tests. The learnability was verified on a database composed of the test results – a neuro-fuzzy model was built from learning sets and its accuracy was verified by sets of tests to which the model was applied for the first time. The results obtained from the ANFIS model did not diverge substantially from the ones obtained directly by performing the physical tests. The ANFIS proved to be highly universal and easy to operate. It accounted for the multi-faceted nature of interrelationships between ground parameters.