27975 - Principles of Soil and Rock Mechanics

Learning outcomes

The aim of the course is to provide the basic knowledge on the mechanical behaviour of soil and rock materials at the sample scale. Students will learn to:

- evaluate the physical characteristics of the soil (density, unit weight, grainsize distribution, plasticity)

- evaluate the deformability parameters of the soil and the effect of the stress history

- evaluate the shear strength parameters of the soil in drained and undrained conditions

- choose the suitable design parameters in the most common practical appliactions

- characterize the rock masses through geomechanical surveys and classification

Course contents

The topics of the course are:

 

A) soil mechanics

1. Origin and mineralogical composition of the soils
2. Soil fabric, specific surface, clay minerals, water in soils (adsorbed water, pore water)
3. Physical characteristics of soils (unit weight, porosity, void ratio, water content, saturation degree)
4. Grainsize distribution
5. Plasticity indexes and related parameters
6. Soil classification systems (USCS and AASHTO)
7. Elements of continuum mechanics, effective stresses, geostatic stresses
8. Stress-strain relationships and failure criteria
9. One-dimensional consolidation
10. Deformability parameters in oedometric conditions
11. The Mohr-Coulomb failure criterium
12. Shear strength of granular soils
13. Shear strength of fine soils

 

B) Rock mechanics

 

1. Strength and deformability of intact rock
2. Shear strength along rock discontinuities
3. Structural and geomechanical characterization of rock masses
4. Geomechanical classification systems
5. Use of stereonet prjections in rock mechanics

Readings/Bibliography

Italian: Renato Lancellotta (2004). Geotecnica. Terza edizione, Zanichelli, BO, 481 pp.

English: Holtz & Kovacs (1980). An Introduction to Geotechnical Engineering . Prentice-Hall

 

 

Teaching methods

Classes will be held in the classroom and in the laboratory, where students will conduct the main geotechnical tests.

Assessment methods

The exam will consits of a written and an oral part. In case of a positive result, the written test will be onsidered valid for one year, after which t must be redone. The oral examination will evaluate (in order of importance): 1) knowledge of the physical-mechanical characterists of soils and rocks; 2) knowledge of laboratory tests procedures; 3) use of a proper technical language.

Teaching tools

Besides the traditional teaching tools (PC and video projectors) the course will make extensive use of the Geotechnical laboratory available at our Department. The main tests preformed by the students will be: soil sieving, Atterberg limits determination, uniaxial testing, direct shear testing.

Office hours

See the website of Matteo Berti

See the website of Alessandro Simoni