Introduction.
Inedex properties.
Atterberg limits. Granulometric curves. Soil classification systems.
Seepage
Permeability, energy, flow nets. Non-homogeous and anisotropic soils.
Effective stress.
Introduction. The principle of effective stress. Seepage force.
Stress in the soil skeleton: stratified deposits, different water table positions, seepage.
One dimensional consolidation.
Skempton B-coefficient. Terzaghi's theory of one-dimensional consolidation. Average degree of consolidation. Oedometric test.
Mechanical behaviour of soils.
Shear box test. Principal stress state for isotropic soils, stress invariants and cylindrical coordinates. Triaxial tests: apparatus, stress paths, results. Critical State Soil Mechanics. The behaviour of sands. Skempton's A and B coefficients. Excess pore water pressure. Soil sampling.
Earth pressure
Limit equilibrium, limit analysis, characteristics lines.
Rankine's active and passive pressure. Stability analysis of retaining walls. Diaphrag walls. Coulomb's methods. Limit equilibrium methods.
Bearing capacity
Drained and undrained bearing capacity. Safaty coefficients. Deep foundations.
Settlements of foundations.
Settlements on fine and coarse grained soils.
Modelling the mechanical behaviour of soils.
Failure criteria. Models based on the plasticity theory. Modified Cam-Clay model.