72765 - Geotechnical Engineering

Academic Year 2015/2016

Learning outcomes

The course is aimed at providing students with advanced knowledge of soil mechanics and geotechnical modelling, with special emphasis on their applications to the design of civil engineering structures. On successful completion of the course, the student will: know the characteristics and peculiarities of soil behaviour, be able to determine and compare physical and mechanical soil parameters, learn skills and develop methods for the design of main geotechnical structures.

Course contents

Previous basic knowledge of Soil Mechanics is required. See below the Teaching tools

Definition of the geotechnical model from laboratory and ground investigations. Standard and advanced laboratory tests; stress and strain analysis of the experimental data; Critical State Soil Mechanics. Planning and executing, in situ testing, result interpretation; site monitoring. Geotechnical characterisation; definition of the characteristic values of geotechnical parameters.

Design of geotechnical works. Stress paths; drained and undrained conditions; total and effective stress analyses; limit equilibrium methods; plasticity and limit analysis. Retaining walls: gravity and embedded retaining structures; criteria for design and stability analyses. Shallow foundations: bearing capacity and settlements; combined loading and stratified soil. Piled foundations: pile types and installation methods, design of single piles, load and integrity tests, lateral loads; pile groups and piled rafts. Slope stability: infinite slope and method of slices. Illustrative cases.

Readings/Bibliography

Lecture notes.

J.A. KNAPPET and R.F. CRAIG: Craig's Soil Mechanics. 8th Edition, Spon Press, 2012.

Teaching methods

The course is divided in two parts.

The first modulus is taught by Professor Daniela Boldini.

The second modulus is taught by Professor Guido Gottardi.

Lectures by invited foreign professors can be included.

Assessment methods

Assessment is based on a final oral exam as well as on two homeworks carried out throughout the course.

The first homework deals with the geotechnical characterisation of a site using laboratory and in situ tests. The second homework deals with the design of simple geotechnical works.

Teaching tools

Previous basic knowledge of Soil Mechanics ( soil description and classification, permeability and seepage, compressibility and consolidation, s hear strength and failure criteria) is required. A crash course of 10 hours, including theoretical lessons and practical exercises, is scheduled in September 2015 to recall these basic concepts before the start of the lessons. More information about this class will be provided at the following web-site: http://corsi.unibo.it/civil-engineering/Pages/default.aspx

Office hours

See the website of Guido Gottardi

See the website of Daniela Boldini