Lecturer: Roberto Valentino  

Course name: Geotechnical Engineering
Course code: 500157
Degree course: Ingegneria per l'Ambiente e il Territorio
Disciplinary field of science: ICAR/07
L'insegnamento è caratterizzante per: Ingegneria per l'Ambiente e il Territorio
University credits: CFU 6
Course website: n.d.

Specific course objectives

The course is prevalently oriented to the solution of application problems and its main purpose is to provide students with the basic principles for tackling classical geotechnical engineering design. The course deals with the Geotechnical aspects of the analysis and design of shallow foundations and retaining structures, including site subsurface exploration and testing, bearing capacity and settlement calculations.

Course programme

Fundamental principles of soil mechanics
Origin of soil deposits. Index soil properties. Atterberg limits. Soil classification according USCS. The principle of effective stress.

Introduction to the classic geotechnical problem.
Meaning and formulation of the equations governing the geotechnical problem. Seepage theory (steady flow). One-dimensional seepage. Darcy’s empirical law. Changes in soil stress conditions with seepage. Two- and three-dimensional problems. Flow net. Confined and unconfined problems. Instability problems caused by siphoning. Artesian and phreatic wells. Consolidation theory (transient flow). Terzaghi’s solution of the equation governing the one-dimensional consolidation. Consolidation settlements.

Mechanical behaviour of soils
Stress-strain relationship for soil. The importance of stress boundary conditions. Experimental oedometric behaviour. The oedometric model. Experimental axisimmetric behaviour: standard triaxial test. Mechanical behaviour of sand and clay. Mohr-Coulomb strength criterion, elastic model. Principles of the critical state theory. A short account of elasto-plastic models (modified Mohr-Coulomb, Cam-Clay).

Site investigation and soil characterization
Ground Investigation: drilling methods; disturbed and undisturbed sampling. Geotechnical characterization: features of a geotechnical report. Aknowledgement of soils: strength and deformability parameters; permeability coefficient; determination of coefficient of consolidation on the basis of laboratory and in-situ tests. In-situ testing: Cone Penetration Test (CPT), Standard Penetration Test (SPT), Pressiometer and Flat Dilatometer Test (DMT), Field Vane test, geophysical exploration, other in-situ tests and interpretation of soil parameters for foundation design.

Retaining structures
Rankine’s theory of earth pressure. The stability of excavations. Applications of earth pressure theory to retaining walls. Design of gravity and cantilever walls. Design of cantilever sheet pile walls. Design of anchored sheet pile walls.

Shallow foundations
Methods to determine bearing capacity ad settlements of shallow foundations. Soil-structure interaction: different soil models; soil pressure; settlements and sectional forces for simple beam systems. Remarks on constructional questions and cases of damages. Methods of analysis for failure conditions. Design of a shallow foundation.

Slope stability analysis
Slope soil movements. A short account of classification systems for landslides. Methods for the evaluation of the safety factor for a slope. Slope movements induced by rainfall.

Course entry requirements

Hydraulics, Geological Engineering, Structural Mechanics

Course structure and teaching

Lectures (hours/year in lecture theatre): 38
Practical class (hours/year in lecture theatre): 16
Practicals / Workshops (hours/year in lecture theatre): 0

Suggested reading materials

R. Lancellotta. Geotecnica. Zanichelli.

P. Colombo, F. Colleselli. Elementi di geotecnica. Zanichelli.

J. Atkinson. Geotecnica. McGrow-Hill.

T.W. Lambe, R.V. Whitman. Meccanica dei terreni. Dario Flaccovio Editore.

R. Nova. Fondamenti di meccanica delle terre. McGrow-Hill.

B.K. Menzies, N.S. Simons.. Problemi di Geotecnica. Dario Flaccovio Editore.

Testing and exams

The examination consists in a written and an oral test.