Lecturer: Mirko Corigliano  

Course name: Fondazioni e opere di sostegno
Course code: 064127
Degree course: Ingegneria per l'Ambiente e il Territorio, Ingegneria Civile
Disciplinary field of science: ICAR/09
The course relates to:
University credits: CFU 6
Course website: http://www-3.unipv.it/webgeotk/fondazioni.html

Specific course objectives

The aim of the course is the application of geotechnical and structural engineering to design and analysis of foundations and earth retaining structures. The course includes hours of theory and hours dedicated to the solutions of problem of foundations engineering. The subdivision in modules, with the relative hours of Lectures (L) and Practical class (E) is indicated in the following.

Course programme

First module (8L+4E): Soil mechanics. Normal and over consolidated soil. Shear strength resistance of cohesive and cohesiveless soils. Stress path. Steady state flow. Darcy law. Hydrodynamic pressure and critical hydraulic gradient. Heave of bottom of escavation and assessment of safety factor. Shear strength parameters and deformability in drained and undrained conditions. Geotechnical characterization by in-situ and laboratory testing. Second module (20L+12E): Types of shallow foundations. Plinth, strip foundations, reverse beams, plate and grid of foundations beams. Soil-structure interaction in static conditions. Bearing capacity of shallow foundations for cohesive and cohesiveless soils. Computation of settlements of shallow foundations: empirical and theoretical approach through the use of theory of elasticity. Structural verification. Deep foundations. Classification of piles. Driven and boring piles. Static formulas for the computation of the bearing capacity of single pile due to vertical action. Base and shaft resistance. Negative skin friction. Settlements of deep foundations. Interaction and group effects in static conditions. Horizontal actions on piles. Italian code. Third module (6L+2E): Classification of earth retaining structures. Active and passive earth pressure according to the classical Coulomb and Rankine theory. Influence of displacement and friction on the earth pressure. Hydrostatic water pressure and additional pressure due to accidental load. Drainage systems. Seismic earth pressure. Flexible and gravity earth retaining structures

Course entry requirements

Soil mechanics, hydraulic, structural mechanics.

Course structure and teaching

Lectures (hours/year in lecture theatre): 36
Practical class (hours/year in lecture theatre): 18
Practicals / Workshops (hours/year in lecture theatre): 0
Project work (hours/year in lecture theatre): 0

Suggested reading materials

Lancellotta, R. e Calavera, J. (1999). Fondazioni. McGraw-Hill, 611 pp.

Viggiani, C. (1999). Fondazioni. Hevelius, 568 pp..

Nova, R. (2008). Meccanica delle costruzioni geotecniche. Edizioni Cittą Studi.

Reese, L.C., Isenhower, W.M., Wang, S.T. (2005). Analysis and Design of Shallow and Deep Foundations. Wiley, 608 pp.

Fleming, W.G., Weltman, A.J., & Randolph, M.E. (1998). Piling Engineering. Taylor & Francis Inc., 390 pp.

Bowles, J.E. (1995). Foundation Analysis and Design. McGraw-Hill, 1175 pp.

Fang, H.-Y. (1997). Foundation Engineering Handbook. Kluwer Acad. Publ., 923 pp..

Testing and exams

The exam is constituted by a written test of three hours duration which includes theory and exercises, and a check of the exercises assigned during the course.