GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING-I

Md. Aftabur Rahman, PhD

Assistant Professor
Department of Civil Engineering
Chittagong University of Engineering & Technology
Chittagong-4349, Bangladesh
INTRODUCTION TO GEOTECHNICAL
ENGINEERIG
 WHAT IS CIVIL ENGINEERING ?
People use the land to live on, and build all sort of structures like buildings,
bridges, dams etc. Combining all is Civil Engineering

Source: https://goo.gl/Au5WTr

Major branches of civil engineering's are

• Structural • Geotechnical • Environmental
Engineering Engineering Engineering

• Water Resource • Transportation

Engineering Engineering

Geotechnical Engineer’s task is to predict the behavior of soil as a result

of human activity !
 GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING IN ANCIENT TIMES
 Since ancient times, Geotechnical Engineering exists !

Kafara dam (2650BC):is the oldest Dashur Pyramid (2600BC): originally

dam known to mankind planned for 60 degree slope,
however slope instability occurred

Source: Schnitter, 1994 Source: Wikipedia

 WHAT IS SOIL MECHANICS ?
Ancient engineers used their experience for those heavy construction works

Modern engineering theory employed in the 18th century due to

advancement of Newtonian mechanics

Father of Soil Mechanics

He developed the new concept of “Effective

Stress” which deals soil with pore water

Dr. Karl Von Terzaghi

(1883-1963)
GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING (PRIOR TO 18th CENTURY)
Tower of Pisa (1173):The tower Anji Bridge, China (600): is the world
started to sink after the construction oldest open-spandrel segmented
progressed to the third floor in 1178 arch bridge
• clayey subsoil, high vertical and
horizontal forces (compacted
backfill)

Source: Wikipedia Source: https://goo.gl/Tojv7D

GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING (AFTER 18th CENTURY)
Aswan Dam (1898)

• The Aswan Dam is an

embankment dam built across the

Source: The University of Utah

Nile at Aswan, Egypt between
1898 and 1902
• About 111m height, 3800m long
and 980m width

Channel Tunnel (1994) • The Channel Tunnel is a 50.45-

kilometre rail tunnel linking
Folkestone, Kent, in the United
Kingdom, with Coquelles, Pas-de-
Calais, near Calais in northern
Source: Wikipedia

France, beneath the English Channel

at the Strait of Dover
• At its lowest point, it is 75 m (250 ft)
deep
GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING (AFTER 18th CENTURY)

Kansai Int. Airport (1994)

Source: MLIT, Japan

GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING (AFTER 18th CENTURY)
Tokyo Bay Aqua Line (1997)

Source: Wikipedia
 GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING (AFTER 18th CENTURY)
Seikan Tunnel
• Worlds longest undersea tunnel
• The track level is about 100 meters below the seabed and 240 m below sea
level

This is one of only two undersea stations in the

world. It’s 135 meters below the surface
 GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING PROBLEMS

1964 Nigata Earthquake , Japan 2004 Chuetsu Earthquake, Japan

2011
Christchurch Source: Wikipedia

Earthquake,
New Zealand
 GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING PROBLEMS

Landslide in California State Route, 2006 Landslide in Japan, 2011 Source: Wikipedia
MAJOR GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING PROBLEMS:
BANGLADESH PERSPECTIVE
River Bank Erosion Slope Stability Soil Improvement

https://goo.gl/oehzjP www.buet.ac.bd https://goo.gl/gsbKo0

Land Reclamation Soil Subsidence Landslides

https://goo.gl/isywN4 The Daily Star The Daily Star

Are you feeling the necessity of
GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING knowledge ! ! !
 COURSE CONTENTS
• Introduction to geotechnical engineering
• Basic properties and characteristics of soil
• Soil grain and aggregate
• Clay mineralogy
• Weight, volume and moisture-density relationship
• Soil structure and fabric
• Index properties of soil
• Identification and classification of soil
• Principle of total and effective stress
• Soil-water , permeability
• Seepage and flow nets
• Fundamentals of soil liquefaction
• Stress distribution
• Soil compaction
• One-dimensional consolidation
• Stress-strain-strength characteristics of soil