FILS III - Soil Mechanics

2010-2011

1. Soil sampling. In-situ investigations

2. Grading of soils. Screening method. Hydrometer method.
3. Grading of soils. Graphical representation of the particle size distribution.
4. Clay minerals. Water adsorption capacity of clay minerals.
5. Cohesive soil shrinkage. Consistency limits of the cohesive soils.
6. Consistency limits of the cohesive soils. Plasticity and consistency characterization of cohesive
soils.
7. Volume relationships between soil phases: n, e, Sr. Characterization of the cohesionless soil state.
8. Weight relationships between soil phases: γs, γ, w%. Characterization of the cohesionless soil
state.
9. Free water flow. Permeability coefficient assessment by laboratory tests.
10. Determination of the permeability coefficient by in-situ tests. Filters.
11. Determination of the permeability coefficient by in-situ tests. Assessment of the critical
hydraulic gradient.
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12. Principle of effective stresses. Terzaghi’s mechanical model. The consolidation of soils
13. Soil compressibility and consolidation. Oedometer test
14. Compressibility characteristics: M, av, mv. Over-consolidation of soils.
15. Expansive soils. Collapsible soils.
16. Shearing strength of soils. State of stress. Mohr-Coulomb failure criterion.
17. Shearing stress paths. Transformation of shearing strength from  and c to  and d.
18. Consolidation stress path (isotropic and k0).
19. Types of tests for finding the shearing strenght (,c). Dilatancy and contractancy. Mobilization
of the tangential stress with displacement.
20. Direct shearing test. Triaxial test. Description of equipment and peculiarities of the tests
21. Loads due to the own weight of the soil. Soil mass at rest. Active and passive state.
22. The effect of soils upon structures. Coulomb theory of active thrust. Culmann graphical method.
23. Rankine model in active case. Distribution of stresses.