Soilmechanics–ashortintroduction.pptVIP

Soil mechanics – a short introduction Why mechanics of soils? Like other solid materials (e.g. metals, rock), soils deform when they are exposed to forces. Why mechanics of soils? foundation of buildings… Why mechanics of soils? Understanding soil deformation behavior is crucial to: design slopes and retaining walls build tunnels in ‘soft’ rock assess hazards due to land slides prevent soil from compaction optimize soil management techniques … Definition of stress and strain The reaction of a solid body to a force F or a combination of forces acting upon or within it can be characterized in terms of its relative deformation or strain. The ratio of force to area where it acts is called stress. Total vs. effective stresses Stress in homogeneous soil Stress in homogeneous soil Stress in a multi-layer soil Stress in soil with a ‘wide’ surface load Stress in soil with a ‘narrow’ surface load Stress in soil with a ‘narrow’ surface load Uniaxial stress and strain – Hook’s law Shear stress and strain Isotropic compression Stiffness of soil material Elastic deformation Typical values of elastic moduli E’ and n’ Relationships between elastic moduli Plastic deformation Viscous deformation Soil strength – precompression stress Soil strength – undrained shear Soil strength – the angle of friction Soil strength - cohesion Typical values of f‘, c’ and su Summary The aim of this class was to introduce the concept of stress and strain in solid material, especially soils. give you an idea what stiffness and strength of soil materials are and provide you a short overview over the mechanics of one of the most complex solid materials known. Acknowledgment I would like to acknowledge Prof. John Atkinson, City University, London, and Prof. Sarah Springman, ETH, Zurich, who provided me with many of the graphs I used for this presentation, Prof. Dani Or, UConn, Storrs, who gave me the opportunity to talk about soil mechanics and you, the audience, for coming and sta