Learning objectives
The course intends to supply basic elements of mechanics and land hydraulics by describing their hydro-mechanical behaviour and illustrating the most commonly used characterisation tests. Certain methods, in common use in the field of construction engineering, for dimensioning support works and foundations will then be covered. In particular, on the basis of the land-structure interaction, the aim is to supply criteria for evaluating the safety conditions of the foundations of the building, and the criteria for consolidating them.
Prerequisites
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Course unit content
Design technique in geotechnical engineering. Characteristics and classification of rocks and soils. Particle size analysis. Atterberg limits. Classification systems. Stress and deformation tensor. Linear and non-linear elasticity. Rupture envelopes. Resistance criteria. Principle of effective stresses. Hydrostatic pressures, total stresses, effective stresses in the ground. Normally consolidated and overconsolidated soils. Darcy's law. Hydraulic gradient. Drained and non-drained conditions. Edometric test. Processes of convection, spreading and absorption of contaminants in soils. The dilatancy phenomenon. Critical and residual peak conditions. Influence of the thickening state. Determination of parameters through in situ tests. Normally consolidated clays. Overconsolidated clays. Interstitial stress parameters. Determination of parameters through in situ and laboratory tests. References to stress methods. Active and passive states of limiting equilibrium. Limiting equilibrium method. Rigid supports. Determination of earth pressure. Determination of water pressure and overloads. Inspection of rigid supports - national regulations. Types of foundation. Surface foundations, rupture mechanisms. Load bearing capacity of surface foundations. Collapse on cohesive and non-cohesive soils. Issues regarding buildings of historical interest. Analysis of real cases.
Full programme
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Bibliography
R. Lancellotta, Geotecnica, Zanichelli, 1995. R. Lancellotta, Geothecnical Engineering, Balkema, 1995. R. Lancellotta Josè Cavalera Fondazioni Mc Graw Hill, 1999.
Teaching methods
The course is complete with application examples and theory application exercises. Written and oral
Assessment methods and criteria
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Other information
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