Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering

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Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering

• CE 435
• Spring 2004
• School of Engineering
• University of Alaska Anchorage

Courtesy of Erik Malvick, UD Davis
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Geotechnical Engineering

• Implies the application of civil engineering
  technology to the Earth
• Concerned with soil and rock
• New materials in terms of civil engineering
• Difference between soil and rock is arbitrary
• Study of soil and rock as an engineering material
  to be built with or built on

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Soils

• Consist of
• Particles
• Water
• Air
• Organics
• Other Fluids and Gases

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Soils

• Consist of
• Particles
• Water
• Air
• Organics
• Other Fluids and Gasses

Typical 3 Phases
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Soils

• Natural Deposits
• Product of Weathered Rock
• Properties Depend on Geologic History
• e.g. are they residual (formed in place)?
• are they transported (e.g river sediments, wind
  blown)?
• Manmade Deposit
• Compacted Fills
• Earth and Rock-fill Embankment Dams
• Properties depend on Placement Methods

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Natural Deposit

• Heterogeneous and anisotropic material
• Layered

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The Typical Geotechnical Engineering Process

• Characterize the Site
• Review of geology
• On-site exploration
• Collection of samples

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Geot. Engrg. Process Cont.

• Evaluate Soil Properties
• Laboratory Tests
• Field Tests
• Properties are often Approximate
• Small samples
• Disturbance
• Continually changing

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Geot. Engrg. Process Cont.

• Analyses
• Determine important properties
• Account for uncertainties (Factor of Safety)
• Judgment (Experience)
• Do the numbers make sense?
• Safety
• Build It
• Monitor construction process
• After Construction Monitoring
• Watch for changes
• Have contingencies ready for unforseen
  circumstances

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Typical Projects
Grading and Drainage
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Foundations
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Fills Dams
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Retaining Walls
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Groundwater Flow Soil / Water Chemistry Contaminat
ion containment and cleanup
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Slope Stability
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Earthquake Effects
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Earthquake Effects
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Ground Improvement
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Ground Improvement
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Conclusions

• Soil Mechanics leads to many possible projects
• This class provides the fundamentals to begin
  learning the concepts and projects shown before
• A basic understanding of soil mechanics is
  necessary for all civil engineers

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Useful Resources

• Geotechnical Photo Album
• cee.engr.ucdavis.edu/faculty/boulanger/geo_photo_a
  lbum/index.html
• Course website
• http//www.engr.uaa.alaska.edu/soe/Courses/ce435/i
  ntro.htm