CE 411

GEOTECHNICAL
ENGINEERING
(SOIL MECHANICS 1)
PREPARED BY:
ENGR. DARWIN MANALO
FIRST SEMESTER 2023-2024
 01 02 03 04
Introduction Geotechnical Preclassical Period of Classical Soil
Engineering Prior to Soil Mechanics (1700- Mechanics - Phase 1
the 18 th Century 1776) (1776-1856)

05 06 07 08
Classical Soil Geotechnical End of an
Modern Soil
Mechanics - Engineering Era
Mechanics
Phase 2 after 1927
(1910-1927)
(1856-1910)
 INTRODUCTION

SOIL MECHANICS
IT IS A 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.

SOIL
IT IS DEFINED AS THE UNCEMENTED AGGREGATE OF MINERAL GRAINS
AND DECAYED ORGANIC MATTER ( SOLID PARTICLES) WITH LIQUID AND
GAS IN THE EMPTY SPACES BETWEEN THE SOLID PARTICLES.

IT IS USED AS A CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS IN VARIOUS CIVIL

ENGINEERING PROJECTS, AND ITS SUPPORTS STUCTURAL FOUNDATION.
 INTRODUCTION

SOIL ENGINEERING
IT IS THE APPLICATION OF THE PRINCIPLES OF SOIL
MECHANICS TO PRACTICAL PROBLEMS.

GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING
IT IS THE SUBDISCIPLINE OF CIVIL ENGINEERING THAT INVOLVES
NATURAL MATERIALS FOUND CLOSE TO THE SURFACE OF THE EARTH.

IT INCLUDES THE APPLICATION OF THE PRINCIPLES OF SOIL MECHANICS

AND ROCK MECHANICS TO THE DESIGN OF FOUNDATION, RETAINING
STRUCTURES, AND EARTH STRUCTURES.
GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING
PRIOR TO THE 18TH CENTURY

The record of a person's first use

of soil as a construction materials
is lost in antiquity.
In true engineering terms, the
understanding of geotechnical
engineering as it is known today
began early in the 18th century
(Skempton, 1985)
GREAT PYRAMID
OF GIZA
The construction of the pyramids
posed formidable challenges
regarding foundations, stability
of slopes, and construction of
underground chamber.
In order tp build this pyramids,
they used special mortar to
helped the pyramid survive for a
long period of time.
In 2008, there are 138 total
numbers of known pyramids in
Egypt.
LEANING TOWER
OF PISA
Leaning tower of Pisa in Italy, is
one of the most famous examples
of problems related to soil
bearing capacity in the
construction of structure prior to
the 18th century.
Recent investigation showed that
a weak clay layer existed at a
depth of about 11 m or around 36
ft. below the ground surface
compression of which caused the
tower to tilt.
 GARISENDA TOWER
AND ASINELLI TOWER
At any rate, the Garisendas did not
invest enough in a solid foundation,
and the tower, it stands 48 meters high
now originally 60 meters in height, has
sunk considerably over the centuries
and leans about 3 meters towards the
south. It has tilted about 4 degrees.
the tower on the right is called the
Asinelli tower, which os 97 meters high
and weighs 7300 metric tins. it has
tilted about 1.3 degrees.
GEOTECHNICAL ASPECTS OF STRUCTURE
BUILDINGS BRIDGES DAMS TUNNELS
GEOTECHNICAL ASPECTS OF STRUCTURE
(PHILIPPINES)
BUILDINGS BRIDGES DAMS TUNNELS
 GEOTECHNICAL FAILURE
Chuzon Supermarket in Pampanga Warehouse Wall in Bulcan
OTHER GEOTECHNICAL FAILURE
OTHER GEOTECHNICAL FAILURE
 PRECLASSICAL PERIOD OF
SOIL MECHANICS (1700-1776)

This period concentrated on

studies relating to natural slope
and unit weights of various types
of soil, as well as semi empirical
earth pressure theories.
 HENRI GAUTIER
(1660-1737)

A French Royal Engineer.

In 1717 he Studied the
natural slopes of soils
when tipped in a heap for
formulating the design
procedures of retaining
wals.
BERNARD FOREST DE
BELIDOR (1671-1761)

He published a textbook
for Military and Civil
Engineer in France.
In the book, he proposed
a theory for lateral earth
pressure on retaining
walls that was follow-up
to Gautier's (1717) original
study.
 FRANCOIS GADROY
(1705-1759)

He reported the first laboratory

model test results on a 76 mm
high retaining wall built with
sand sand fill in 1746 who
observed the existence of slip
planes in the soil as failure.
He is a French Engineer.
J.J Mayniel was later summarized
Gadroy's study in 1808.
JEAN RODOLPHE PERRONET
(1708-1794)

He is also a French Engineer.

He studied slope stability
around 1769 & distinguished
between tact ground and fill.
CLASSICAL SOIL MECHANICS
PHASE I (1776-1856)

During this period, most of the

development in the area of
geotechnical engineering came
from engineers and scientist n
France.
 CHARLES AUGUSTIN
COULOMB (1736-1806)

He used the principles of

maxima and minima to
determine the true position
of the sliding surface of soil
behind a retaining wall. in
this analysis, he used the
laws of friction and cohesion
for solid bodies.
WILLIAM JOHN MACQUORN
RANKINE (1820-1872)

A professor of civil engineering

at the University of Glasgow.
His studied provide a notable
theory on earth pressure and
equilibrium of earth masses.
Rankine's theory is just a
simplification of Coulomb's
theory.
CLASSICAL SOIL MECHANICS
PHASE II (1856-1910)

Several experimental results from

laboratory tests on sand appeared
in the literature in this phase.
Started from the publication of a
paper on the permeability of sand
filters by French engineer Darcy in
1856.
HENRI PHILIBERT GASPARD
DARCY (1803-1858)

In 1856, he published a study

on the permeability of sand
filters.
Based on this this, he
defined the term of
coefficient of permeability of
soil, a very useful parameter
in geotechnical engineering
to this day.
SIR GEORGE HOWARD
DARWIN (1845-1912)

A professor of astronomy,
conducted laboratory tests
to determine the overturning
moment on a hinged wall
retaining sand in loose and
dense state of compaction.
 JOSEPH VALENTIN
BOUSSINESQ (1842-1929)

Another noteworthy contribution

which was published in 1885 by
Joseph Valentin was the
development of the theory of
stress distribution under load
bearing areas in a homogeneous,
semi infinite, elastic, and
isotropic medium.
 OTHER NOTABLE PERSON DURING
THIS PERIOD
OSBORNE JOHN CLIBBORN AND JOHN
REYNOLDS STUART BERESFORD
MODERN SOIL MECHANICS
(1910-1927)

In this period, results of research

conducted on clays were published
in which the fundamental
properties and parameters of clay
were established.
 ALBERT MAURITZ
ATTERBERG (1846-1916)
He defined clay-size fractions as
the percentage by weight of
particles smaller than 2 microns
in size.
He realize the important of clay
particles in a soil and the
plasticity thereof.
He also defined the plasticity
index as the difference between
liquid limit and plastic limit.
 ARTHUR LANGLEY BELL
(1874-1956)

He developed relationships for lateral

pressure and resistance in clay as
well as bearing capacity of shallow
foundation.
He also used shear-box tests to
measure the undrained shear
strength of undisturbed clay
specimen.
 WOLMAR FELLENIUS
(1876-1957)

He developed the stability

analysis of undrained saturated
clay slopes with the assumption
that the critical surface of sliding
is the arc of a circle.
ARTHUR CASAGRANDE
(1902-1981)

He developed the liquid limit

apparatus, the hydrometer test,
the horizontal capillarity test,
the consolidation apparatus, and
the direct shear apparatus.
He made many contribution to
the analysis of soft clays, soil
composition, and classification,
seepage, earth dams, and others.
 KARL TERZAGHI
(1883-1963)

He is the father of modern soil

mechanics.
He developed the theory of
consolidation for clays as we
known today.
GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING
AFTER 1927

The development of Geotechnical

Engineering as a branch of Civil
Engineering is absolutely impacted
by one single professional individual –
Karl Terzaghi (1883-1963).
His contribution has spread to almost
every topic in soil mechanics and
geotechnical engineering covered by
the test book.
 KARL TERZAGHI
(1883-1963)
Born: October 2, 1883 in Prague
Died: October 25, 1963 in Winchester, Massachusetts.
He won the Norman Medal of ASCE four times (1930,
1943, 1946, and 1955).
He was given nine honorary doctorate degrees from
universities in eight different countries.
He started modern soil mechanics with his theories
of consolidation, lateral earth pressures, bearing
capacity, and stability
 END OF AN ERA

RALPH PECK (1912-2008)

Dr. Ralph peck worked as an
assistant to Karl Terzaghi.
He was a teacher, mentor,
friend, and counselor to
generations of geotechnical
engineers in every country in
the world.