Introduction to Geotechnical Engineering

Geotechnical Engineering

Definition of Terms
History
Origin and Formation
Soil
the uncemented aggregate of mineral
grains and decayed organic matter
(solid particles) with liquid and gas in
the empty spaces between the solid
particles.
as a construction material in various
civil engineering projects, it supports
structural foundations
Soil Mechanics
is the branch of science that deals with
the study of the physical properties of
soil and the behavior of soil masses
subjected to various types of forces

Geotechnical Engineering

study of soil, its behavior and

applications as an engineering material.
 HISTORY

Prior to the 18th Century

Pre - Classical
Classical Phase 1
Classical Phase 2
Modern Age
 Prior to the 18th Century
Based on experimentations, many structures
were builtsome of which have crumbled,
while others are still standing.
There is no Soil Engineering
Prior to the 18th Century
One of the most famous
examples of problems related
to soil bearing capacity and
foundations in the construction
of structures prior to 18th
century is the Leaning Tower of
Pisa in Italy. The construction
of the Tower began in 1173
and last over 200 years.
 Pre - Classical
This period concentrated on studies relating to
natural slope and unit weights of various types of
soils, as well as the semi empirical earth pressure
theories.

Henri Gautier (16601737)

studied the natural slopes
of soils when tipped in a
heap for formulating the
design procedures of
retaining walls.
 Bernard Forest de Belidor
(1671 1761 French engg.)
proposed a theory for lateral
earth pressure on retaining
walls specified a soil
classification system

Francois Gadroy (1705 1759)

observed the existence of slip
planes in the soil at failure. 12
 Classical Phase
Classical Soil Mechanics began in
1773 with Charles Coulombs (a
physicist, 1736 1806) introduction
of mechanics to soil problems. Using
the laws of friction and cohesion to
determine the true sliding surface
behind a retaining wall, Coulomb
inadvertently defined failure criteria
for soil

By combining Coulomb's theory with

Christian Otto Mohrs theory of a 2D
stress state, the Mohr Coulomb
theory was developed
 Henry Darcy (1803 1858)
defined the hydraulic
conductivity.

Joseph Boussinesq, a
mathematician and physicist
(18421929), developed the
theory of stress distribution.
 William Rankine (1820
1872) simplified Coulomb's
earth pressure theory.

Osborne Reynolds (1842

1912) demonstrated the
phenomenon of dilatency in
sand
 Modern Age
This period was marked by
a series of important
studies and publications
related to the mechanic
behavior of clays.

Albert Atterberg (1846

1916), a Swedish chemist and
soil scientist, explained the
consistency of cohesive soils
by defining liquid, plastic, and
shrinkage limits.
Arthur Bell (18741956), a civil engineer from England,
developed relationships for lateral pressure and
resistance in clay as well as bearing capacity of shallow
foundations in clay.

Wolmar Fellenius (1876 1957), an engineer from

Sweden, developed the stability analysis of saturated
clay slopes.
Karl Terzaghi
Generally recognized as the
father of modern soil
mechanics and geotechnical
engineering. He started
modern soil mechanics with
his theories of consolidation,
lateral earth pressures,
bearing capacity, and
stability.
 Effective stress
Shear strength
Testing with Dutch cone
penetrometer
Consolidation
Centrifuge testing
Elastic theory and stress
distribution
Preloading for settlement
control
Swelling clays
Frost action
Earthquake and soil liquefaction
Machine vibration
Arching theory of earth pressure
Origin and Formation

Rock Cycle
Mechanical and Chemical Weathering
Transported Soils
Residual Soils
Organic Soils
Rock Cycle
Igneous Rock
it is the basic material of the earths crust. It
is created by the cooling and solidification of
molten materials from deep in the earth.

Sedimentary Rock
Forms when loose materials like mud or sand
are deposited by water, wind, and other agents
Metamorphic Rock
This is where igneous and sedimentary
rocks are subjected to great heat and
pressure so they change to metamorphic
rock.
Mechanical and Chemical Weathering
Mechanical Weathering
The process by which rocks are broken
into smaller pieces by physical forces

Chemical Weathering
The process of chemical decomposition
of rock