Chapter One

Introduction
 Objectives

At the end of these lesson students should be able to know the

definition of soil mechanics and geotechnical engineering, typical
geotechnical engineering problems and ground improvement
methods, differentiate between soil and rock material, and types of
soil.
1.1. General Introduction of
Soil Mechanics
Let us try to think the QUESTIONS!

• Why do we learn Soil Mechanics ?

• What is its use ?

• Where it is applied ?
 ANSWERS

 Soil can be used as a:

- Construction material.
- Support to bear structural load safely.
 In ancient times soil is used to
 build burial sites, flood protection, and shelters
 now as an embankment for
dams, roadways and railways etc…
 Soil is: Mechanics

Unaggregated To apply laws of

or uncemented Mechanics and
hydraulics
particles
Soil Mechanics is one of the youngest disciplines of Civil Engineering
involving the:

• Study of soil
• Its behavior and
• Application as an engineering material.
• Terzaghi (1948): "Soil Mechanics is the application of laws of
mechanics and hydraulics to engineering problems dealing
with sediments and other unconsolidated accumulations of
solid particles produced by the mechanical and chemical
disintegration of rocks regardless of whether or not they
contain an admixture of organic constituent."
•Soil is one of the most complex fields in civil engineering project and
different civil engineering projects has a direct contact with soil.

soil is defined as uncemented aggregate of mineral grains and decayed

organic matter (solid particles) with liquid and gas in the empty spaces
between the solid particles.

Geotechnical engineering is the branch of civil

engineering concerned with the engineering behavior of earth
materials, Foundation bearing properties… Like:
 Typical Geotechnical Engineering Problems

 Can the soils and rocks properly support the construction project?
 How will the groundwater conditions impact the engineering project?

Teton Dam Failure (1975)

 Geotechnical Engineering Problems
 What will be the impact of excavations, grading, or filling?

Hong Kong Tunnels

(Hong Kong Slope Safety 2001) (from BECC Engineering 2001)

Geotechnical Engineering Problems

 Are natural or proposed earth slope stable?

(from Norwegian Geotechnical Institute, 2001)

 Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering
Effects of earthquakes
1964 Niigata 1967 Caracas
Earthquake Earthquake

(from Alshibli ,2001)

 Earth Pressure and Retaining Walls as soil Improvement

Reinforced Earth Walls

(The Reinforced Wall Company, 2003)

 Soil Improvement
Stone Columns Jet grouting

Compaction Grouting

(Boulanger and Duncan, 2003)

 Soil Improvement

Chemical Injection

(Boulanger and Duncan 2003)

Geosynthetics
Geosynthetic stabilized walls

(Environmental Science & Engineering 2007)

(kshitija.wordpress.com 2007)
 Formation of Soils
The geologic cycle explains the process of rock and soil formation

Sedimentary
Rock
Soils
weathering metamorphosis
weathering

Igneous metamorphosis Metamorphic

Rock Rock

Molten
MAGMA
(Coduto 1999)
 Soil Formation

• Soil material is the product of rock

• The geological process that produce soil is Weathering (Chemical and Physical
weathering).

• Variation in Particle size and shape depends on:

Weathering Process
Transportation Process
o Soil deposits are affected by the mechanism of transport and deposition to their location.
Soils that are not transported are called residual soils.
 Rocks and Soils
 Most rocks are cemented
 Most soils are not cemented
 Most rocks have low porosity
 Most soils have large porosity
 Weathering can greatly alter the rocks
properties.  Weathering barely alters the soil properties.
 Depending on scale, rocks are considered  Depending on scale, soils are considered
a discontinuous material. a continuous material.

Rocks for an engineer is a “hard durable material that cannot be excavated without blasting”
Rocks Soils
 General Types of Soil

What type of soils are usually produced by different weathering & transportation process?

 Boulders
 Cobbles
 Gravel Cohesionless
 Sand (Physical)
 Silt Cohesive
 Clay (Chemical)

Montmorillonite or smectite, illite, and kaolinite or kaolin are commonly known clay minerals.
 Course Summary
• Studying soil mechanics is the most important one, in civil engineering, because
different civil engineering projects directly or indirectly relies on soil or rock material.

• Soil Mechanics is one of the engineering science, that enables to deal about the behavior
and performance of soil as a construction material or a foundation support.

• Rocks are hard durable material that cannot be excavated without blasting, whereas soils
are unconsolidated non cemented material.

• Based on its grain size soils can be classified as boulders, cobles, gravels, silts and clay
soil.
 Quiz

1. What is soil mechanics and geotechnical engineering and list out their importance
in civil engineering?

Solution: Soil Mechanics is the application of laws of mechanics and hydraulics to

engineering problems dealing with sediments and other unconsolidated
accumulations of solid particles and Geotechnical engineering is the branch of civil
engineering concerned with the engineering behavior of earth materials.
Geotechnical engineering uses principles of soil and rock mechanics and it is
important in civil engineering.
 Continued

2. Write the difference between soil and rock particle materials?

Solution: Most rocks are cemented and have low porosity, whereas
most soils are not cemented and have large porosity. Weathering can
greatly alter the rocks properties and weathering barely alters the soil
properties
Depending on scale, rocks are considered a discontinuous material and
whereas soils are considered a continuous material.