Managing Risk and Variability With Fuzzy Soil Interpretations
M. Dewayne Mays, C. Steven Holzhey, István Bogárdi, András Bàrdossy · ASSA, CSSA and SSSA · 1995
This chapter provides information on how fuzzy logic can be used as a tool to manage risk and variability in soil interpretations. It provides the theoretical risk framework that is made applicable in a computer program that is under development at the Soil Conservation Service National Soil Survey Center. The challenge for risk assessment in soil interpretations is to give the best estimate and the range of uncertainty associated with the practice. Risk analysis in general includes three elements: load or exposure, capacity or threshold, and the failure event when load is larger than capacity. The authors have added a fourth step, the consequence of failure. The addition of consequences to a risk analysis allows one to apply a cost factor to weigh in the decision of whether or not additional measures must be applied in order to meet a satisfactory level versus an acceptable risk taken.