Soil mechanics 1300-OMGN401

The lecture is designed to acquaint a student with:
- stresses in soil (the stress tensor, deviator stress, stress invariants , Mohr's circle – biaxial, and triaxial, octahedral stress),
- total stress (in a variety soil-water systems),
- stress caused by structures (Boussinesqu's theory, Newmark’s diagaram, Rusin’s diagram, diagrams by Polish standards),
- stresses in the subsoil (in various stages of constructions),
- deformation of soils (load path during deformation of soil),
- settlement due to theory of elasticity (total settlement),
- settlement in time (uniaxial and triaxial consolidation),
- the reinforcement of the soil due to consolidation (the use of drains),
- soil strength (the study of shear strength of soil according to different load paths, the relation between strength and deviator stress),
- shear strength criteria (Coulomb-Mohr, Hubert-Mises, Content, Veibula, Griffith),
- shear strength plane (R.Chen, Kirkputrick, Gudehus, Brinch-Hansen and Lungren),
- rheological models of soils (basic and complex types of soils: Terzagni Poynting-Thomson), rheological test methods of soil properties,
- bearing capacity of subsoil (equilibrium state, unlimited bearing capacity),
- methods of lateral earth pressure analysis (cohesionless soils - Coulomb, Pillet, Poncellet, cohesive soils - Fellenius, Rendulič)
- methods of slope stability analysis (Fellenius, Bishop Taylor, Fisenka, Maslow).

The classes are concentrated on:
- calculating the stresses in the soil: total stress and effective stress with regard to ground water flow,
- analysis of the phenomena in soils due to filtration in the soil,
- analysis of the stability of the bottom of the excavation,
- calculations of water flow into the excavation,
- stress distribution in the soil from external load,
- calculations of slopes stability, including the use of computer software,
- methodology of performing laboratory shear strength tests and deformation tests,
- interpretation of the results of laboratory strength tests and deformation tests,
- preparing during the semester three individual projects, these projects require additional 15 hrs of work at home.

Type of course

obligatory courses

Prerequisites (description)

(in Polish) Student powinien posiadać podstawową wiedzę związana z: - zasadami fizyki i mechaniki ciała stałego, - podstawowymi prawami teorii sprężystości i plastyczności: - podstawami matematyki (podstawowy rachunku tensorowego, dewiatorowego, macierze), - litologią i tektoniką skał, - procesami geodynamicznymi, - podstawowymi właściwościami głównie fizycznymi gruntów (metodami ich badań). Wiedzę na powyższe tematy można zdobyć na następujących przedmiotach obligatoryjnych prowadzonych na UW: - Matematyka (wykład i ćwiczenia w wymiarze co najmniej 2 semestrów), - Fizyka (wykłady 60 godz.) - Mechanika (wykład do wyboru, 30 godz.) - Geologia Dynamiczna (wykład i ćwiczenia w wymiarze co najmniej 2 semestrów), - Geotektonika (wykład i ćwiczenia w wymiarze co najmniej 1 semestr), - Geologia Stosowana (wykład i ćwiczenia w wymiarze co najmniej 3 semestry), - Mechanika Ośrodków Ciągłych (wykład do wyboru, 30 godz.), - Równania Fizyki Matematycznej (wykład do wyboru, 30 godz.), - Kurs terenowy z geologii stosowanej i ochrony środowiska

Learning outcomes

After completing the course (lectures and exercises) a student:
- calculates the total stress, effective stress and stresses from external load in the subsoil,
- knows the test methods for determine the mechanical properties of soil,
- assesses the subsoil – creates computational models (derived parameters)
- calculates the settlement of engineering objects (settlements in time)
- determines the unlimited bearing capacity,
- calculate the slope stability of existing and newly designed slopes.

Assessment criteria

Requirements for examination:
- knowledge of the material presented at the lectures,
- knowledge of literature and the basic legal regulations (Polish standards, Eurocode) mentioned by the lecturer,
- practical knowledge gained during classes.

Additional information

Additional information (registration calendar, class conductors, localization and schedules of classes), might be available in the USOSweb system:

Description of 1300-OMGN401 in USOSweb