GEOTECHNICS
Academic year and teacher
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- Versione italiana
- Academic year
- 2022/2023
- Teacher
- VINCENZO FIORAVANTE
- Credits
- 12
- Didactic period
- Primo Semestre
- SSD
- ICAR/07
Training objectives
- The course aims to provide the student with the principles of Soil mechanics, necessary at studying the mechanical behavior of soils and structures interacting with the ground.
The objectives to be achieved are:
1.assuming the porous medium as a continuous medium, learn the partition of the stresses between the constituent phases (the principle of effective stresses);
2.learn the distinction between coarse-grained and fine-grained materials, the meaning drained and undrained states, and the practice implications;
3.frame the mechanical behavior of the soil within the critical state theory; assimilate concepts such as peak strength, dilatancy, critical state;
4.frame problems of limit analysis in the theory of plasticity;
5.understand the influence of geological and stress history on the response of natural materials. Prerequisites
- Preliminary knowledge required are: Mathematics, Geometry, Physics, Theoretical Mechanics, Hydraulics and Construction Science.
Course programme
- 1. Description and classification of soils
-Origin and geological history of soil.
-Phases and relations between phases.
-Grain size characteristics and index properties.
-Characteristics of natural deposits.
2. Behavior of the element of volume
-Effective stresses, geostatic stresses.
-Normal consolidation and overconsolidation.
-Oedometer test; application to the calculation of one-dimension settlements.
-Strength and deformability of coarse-grained and fine-grained soils: failure criteria, theory of plasticity and constitutive models (elastic, elasto - plastic).
-Non-linear soil behavior under working conditions.
3. Mechanical characterization of soils
-Laboratory tests (TX, DS, RC, SS).
-In situ tests (surveys, SPT, CPT, CPTU, CH, DH).
4. Boundary problems
-Seepage in porous media.
-Steady state seepage.
-Theory of consolidation.
-Limit equilibrium. Stability analysis of rigid and flexible retaining structures.
-Bearing capacity of shallow foundations. Didactic methods
- Lectures, exercises and visits to the soil mechanics laboratory.
Learning assessment procedures
- The final exam requires the ability to interpretate experimental tests, determine the strength and deformation properties of the element of volume and design and assess shallow foundations and retaining structures. The final exam consists of a written test and oral questions.
Reference texts
- LANCELLOTTA R., Geotechnical Engineering, Balkema, 1995
ATKINSON J., The Mechanics of Soils and Foundations, Second Edition, Spoon
