92874 - Design of Foundations and Retaining Structures

Learning outcomes

Having successfully completed this module, students will be able to: • understand the different soil-structure mechanisms; • use alternative design strategies for shallow and deep foundations; • evaluate earth pressures on retaining walls; • deal with the different modes of failure of rigid and flexible retaining structures; • understand the basic features and assumptions of some well-established methods of analysis; • carry out analyses using limit equilibrium methods and limit analysis; • understand use and implications of numerical approaches such as FDM and FEM; • carry out geotechnical calculations for the design of foundations and of embedded soil retaining structures.

Course contents

Requirements

Prior required knowledge is considered to be acquired by the accomplishment of the Geotechnical Engineering course.

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

The course aims at developing the students' knowledge of geotechnical engineering. It explores the application of soil mechanics principles to the geotechnical design of foundation systems and retaining walls.

Geotechnical design using international codes. The geotechnical design of the structures presented in the course are developed in accordance to the typical International Standards.

Design of shallow foundations. Bearing capacity of shallow foundations under general loading in homogeneous soil. Solutions for the design in layered soils. Settlement analysis using theoretical approaches and in-situ test interpretations.

Design of pile foundations. Pile types and testing. Axial capacity of single pile. Pile subjected to horizontal loading. Settlement and deformation of piles. Load-transfer curve methods. Negative friction. Design of piles in group.

Design of retaining structures. Types of earth retaining structures and modes of failure. Limiting earth pressure from limit analysis. Stability analysis of rigid and flexible retaining structures. Ground anchorages. Braced excavations.

Readings/Bibliography

Lecture notes

Knappett, J. & Craig, R. Craig's Soil Mechanics, 8^th edition. CRC Press, 2012.

Frank, R., & Eurocodes Expert. (2004). Designers’ guide to EN 1997-1 : Eurocode 7. Geotechnical design - general rules. Thomas Telford.

Bond, A.J., Schuppener, B., Scarpelli, G., & Orr, T.L.L. Eurocode 7: Geotechnical design worked examples. JRC Scientific and policy reports, 2013.

Teaching methods

The lectures are presented with slides and integrated by board demonstrations.

During the course, the geotechnical design of shallow and deep foundations, as well as retaining structures, is presented using a commercial finite element code (OPTUM G2). Practical examples are illustrated throughout the course.

Additionally, the course may feature lectures and seminars by invited foreign professors.

Assessment methods

The exam consists of a written test and an oral test.

In the written exam, students are required to solve a numerical exercise similar to those covered during the course, by using the finite element code presented in class, and to discuss their findings. Alternatively, students may solve the exercise using analytical methods presented during the course.

After evaluating the written test, the second part of the final exam assesses the student's theoretical knowledge gained during the course. This involves a theoretical question on the course contents.

Higher grades will be awarded to students who can 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 the results achieved. 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.

Teaching tools

The teacher will made available the lecture notes on Virtuale.

Office hours

See the website of Alessio Mentani