Stress Strain Relations
As stated in previous chapters, the deformations of soils are determined by the effective stresses, which are a measure for […]
Geotechnical Engineering
CIVIL ENGINEERS ARE IN THE MIDST of a construction revolution. Heavy structures are being located in areas formerly considered unsuitable from the standpoint of the supporting power of the underlying soils. Earth structures are contemplated that are of unprecedented height and size; soil systems must be offered to contain contaminants for time scales for which past experience is either inadequate or absent. Designs must be offered to defy the ravages of floods and earthquakes that so frequently visit major population centers.
All structures eventually transmit their loads into the ground. In some cases this may be accomplished only after circuitous transfers involving many component parts of a building; in other cases, such as highway pavements, contact is generally direct. Load transfer may be between soil and soil or, as in retaining walls, from soil through masonry to soil. Of fundamental importance is the response that can be expected due to the imposed loadings. It is within this framework that geotechnical engineering is defined as that phase of civil engineering that deals with the state of rest or motion of soil bodies under the action of force systems.
Flow Towards Wells
For the theoretical analysis of groundwater flow several computational methods are available, analytical or numerical. Studying groundwater flow is of
Flow under a structure
As an example the flow under a structure will be considered, see Figure10.2. In this case a sluice has been
Floatation
In the previous chapter it has been seen that under certain conditions the effective stresses in the soil may be
Falling head test
For soils of low permeability, such as clay, the normal permeability test shown in Figure 7.1 is not suitable, because
Permeability test
In the previous chapter Darcy’s law for the flow of a fluid through a porous medium has been formulated, in
Darcy’s law
Hydrostatics As already mentioned in earlier chapters, the stress distribution in groundwater at rest follows the rules of hydrostatics. More
Stresses in a layer of soils
In many places on earth the soil consists of practically horizontal layers. If such a soil does not carry a
Stresses in soils
As in other materials, stresses may act in soils as a result of an external load and the volumetric weight