72765 - Geotechnical Engineering

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

Requirements

A prior knowledge and understanding of Continuum Mechanics, Hydraulics and Soil Mechanics is required to attend with profit this course. This knowledge is considered to be acquired after having passed the following undergraduate courses: Structural Mechanics, Hydraulics and Geotechnics.

Fluent spoken and written English is a necessary pre-requisite: all lectures and tutorials, as well as all study material will be in English.

COURSE CONTENTS

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. Gravity retaining walls: 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 module is taught by Professor Daniela Boldini.

The second module 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 the preparation of a specific homework, divided in two parts, according to the course structure. The first part deals with the geotechnical characterisation of a site using laboratory and in situ tests. The second part deals with the design of simple geotechnical works. Alternatively

The homework should be developed during the lecture period and completed by the end of term. The students should guarantee their effective attendance for at least 60% of the time dedicated to the homework discussion.

Students that can not successfully complete their homework in time must show their relevant competence in a preliminary written exam.

Higher grades will be awarded to students who demonstrate an organic understanding of the subject, a capacity of presenting the course contents in a clear and concise way and an ability of critically discussing relevant results obtained. To obtain a passing grade, students are required to show their knowledge of at least the key concepts of the subject, some ability for their critical application and a correct use of technical language. A failing grade will be awarded if the student shows knowledge gaps in key-concepts of the subject, inappropriate use of language, and/or logic failures in the analysis of the subject.

Office hours

See the website of Guido Gottardi

See the website of Daniela Boldini