Geotechnical engineering

Code: -
|
ICAR/07
The course content encompasses the theoretical principles, as well as the experimental and computational methodologies for characterizing and modelling the hydro-mechanical behaviour of natural or artificial soils, and for analysing the behaviour of manufacts made of or interacting with them.

Lesson hours:

72

Practice hours:

-

Propaedeuticities:

Mathematical analysis II, General physics

Credits:

9

Types of examinations:

The final assessment test will be oral

Teacher:

-

Objectives:

The course aims to provide the basic principles of geotechnical engineering. The lectures will introduce the student to the fundamentals of soil mechanics, i.e. the theoretical concepts necessary for understanding and describing soil behaviour as a multi-phase medium, the essential experimental procedures and their interpretative methods, the approaches necessary for the analysis of the most common geotechnical applications, also in connection with extreme events. Classwork addresses the main laboratory and field tests for mechanical characterization and some simple calculations of practical problems. As outcomes of the course, the student will manage to use the basic methodological tools needed to characterize the mechanical behaviour of soil, both as a natural and as a construction material, and will be able to apply them to analyse the fundamental geotechnical design problems in civil and environmental engineering.

Contents:

 [0.5 CFU] Description of the soil as a granular multiphase assembly. Multiphysics interaction of different phases. Classification and general properties of soils.

[1 CFU] References to the fundamental concepts of stress and strain in the equivalent continuum and their mathematical representation. Stress states in soils. Failure criteria for geomaterials. Rankine limiting states of stress: active and passive failure. Mechanics of saturated granular materials: distribution of the stress between different phases and principle of effective stress. Lithostatic stress states and stress states induced by loading.

[1 CFU] Filtration processes in porous media: Darcy’s law and mass balance equation. Analysis of steady state flow. Undrained and drained conditions. One-dimensional consolidation theory of Terzaghi.

[2 CFU] Mechanical behaviour of soils and their mathematical characterization with constitutive equations: stress state induced by soil sampling operations. Oedometric test, compressibility, loading history and overconsolidation. Direct shear tests and triaxial compression. Strength at failure in drained and undrained conditions.

[0.5 CFU] Soil characterization: ground surveys and sampling. In situ tests of soil mechanical properties: static and dynamic cone penetration tests. Piezometric measurements.

[1 CFU] Technical standard for shallow foundations: limit and serviceability states. Failure mechanisms and bearing capacity in drained and undrained conditions: general failure, punching. Influence of sloping ground surface and eccentric loading on the bearing capacity. Calculation of settlements induced by vertical loading. Earth pressure on earth retaining structures.

[0.5 CFU] Some insights on unsaturated soil mechanics: Bishop’s principles of effective stress. Failure criteria for unsaturated soils.

[1 CFU] Current technical standards and design guidelines for bearing capacity problems and gravity walls: verifications for the global stability (sliding and rollover of soil structures). Some insights on the technical standard about limit states induced by hydraulic problems.

[1 CFU] Assignments: calculation of lithostatic stress states with and without overburden, water table and flow motion. Calculation of settlements over time. Development of technical tests. Design and verification of a shallow foundation with reference to serviceability and ultimate limit state.

[0.5 CFU] Laboratory visit.

Teaching materials:

  • Commented slides used during the classes (available on the professor website).
  • Lancellotta R. – Geotechnical Engineering. Taylor and Francis.
  • Atkinsons, J. – The mechanics of soils and foundations. Taylor and Francis.