Soil Mechanics

Overview

Welcome to our “Soil Mechanics” class.

Brief Introduction

Soil mechanics is a core professional basic course, which is a compulsory course for undergraduates majoring in civil engineering, and is also a professional basic course for many disciplines closely related to infrastructure construction, such as traffic engineering, water conservancy engineering, mining engineering, marine engineering, etc. The online course of soil mechanics is clear, illustrated and practical. Each chapter is designed with guideline and summary, so that students can fully understand the learning ideas, key points and difficulties of this chapter. Each chapter is attached with Chinese and English professional vocabulary, so as to promote students to review and consolidate their knowledge they have learned. There are various test questions to enable students to achieve the combination of learning and practice. It is equipped with the English textbook of soil mechanics edited by Professor Liao Hongjian and published by Xi'an Jiaotong University Press.

According to the training requirements of civil engineering specialty, this course not only pays attention to the systematic study of the basic theory and knowledge of the subject, but also pays focus on keeping pace with the times to cultivate the comprehensive ability of students to solve complex engineering problems. The characteristics of the course are:

1) Soil mechanics is a branch of Engineering Mechanics and an applied basic discipline, which uses mechanics and geotechnical test technology to study the engineering properties of soil, as well as the stress, strain, strength and stability of soil under the action of load, water and temperature.

2) Soil mechanics is an important professional basic course of civil engineering, construction, transportation, water conservancy, mining and geological engineering, which has a wide audience and plays an important role in the study of students and the reference of social professional engineers.

3) Soil mechanics is a very practical engineering technology science, which is closely related to human activities. In engineering construction, the theory and method of soil mechanics should be applied to solve the problems of building ground, embankment, tunnel, subway and slope stability.

There are totally 8 chapters in this course, including: basic characteristics and engineering classification of soils, permeability of soil and seepage force, stress distribution in soil, compression and consolidation of soil, shear strength, bearing capacity, stability of slopes and lateral earth pressure and retaining walls. Also included are a guideline at the beginning of each chapter and an English-Chinese translation of frequently-used words and expressions in soil mechanics were provided at the end of each chapter, which may facilitate the students in studying this course. Exercises are provided at the end of each chapter and references and acknowledgements are given in the attachment at the end of each chapter.

Professor Hongjian Liao, Ph.D., Department of Civil Engineering at Xi’an Jiaotong University. She received a Ph.D. in Geotechnical Engineering from the Department of Civil Engineering, Tokai University, Japan. She is a member of the International Society for Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering, International Association for Engineering Geology and the Environment, and International Society for Rock Mechanics. She is also a Director of the Chinese Society for Rock Mechanics and Engineering, a Standing Director of the Environmental Geotechnical branch of Chinese Society for Rock Mechanics and Engineering, a Deputy Chairman of the Specialized Committee of Soil Mechanics Teaching of the soil mechanics and geotechnical engineering branch of China Civil Engineering Society, a Director of the Specialized Committee of Soil and Rock Mechanics branch of Chinese Society of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics, and a Deputy Chairman of Shaanxi Society for Rock-Soil Mechanics and Engineering. She is an editorial board member of the Chinese Journal of Rock and Soil Mechanics and Chinese Journal of Underground Space and Engineering. She has taught soil mechanics for more than 30 years, including courses on soil mechanics, engineering geology, and advanced soil mechanics.

Textbook

1.Hongjian Liao, Lijun Su, Hangzhou Li, Zhenghua Xiao (2015). Soil Mechanics. Xi’an Jiaotong university press, Xi’an

2.Hongjian Liao, Hangzhou Li, Zongyuan Ma (2021). Soil Mechanics (The Second Edition). Xi’an Jiaotong university press, Xi’an

2.Hongjian Liao, Rongjian Li, Enlong Liu (2018). Soil Mechanics (The Third Edition)(In Chinese). Higher Education Press, Beijing.

Syllabus

Introduction

0.1Introduction
0.2 Engineering case
Exercises

Chapter1 Basic characteristics and engineering classification of soils

1.1Guideline
1.2Soil generation
1.3.1Soil solid particles
1.3.2Particle size distribution curves of soil
1.4Soil fabric and structure
1.5.1Three phase physical property index of soil
1.5.2Conversion formula between physical property indexes
1.6Characteristics of cohesionless soil
1.7characteristics of cohesive soil
1.8Soil compaction
1.9 Engineering classification of soils
1.10Summary
1.11 Calculation example
Exercises

Chapter 2 Permeability of soil and seepage force

2.1Guideline
2.2Capillary phenomena of soil
2.3Soil permeability and groundwater movement
2.4Darcy’s law and its applicability
2.5.1Determination of permeability coefficient
2.5.2Determination of permeability coefficient of layered soil
2.6Seepage force and critical hydraulic gradient
2.7Quicksand phenomenon
2.8.1Pore water pressure and effective stress in saturated soil
2.8.2Pore water pressure and effective stress under seepage
2.9Summary
2.10 Calculation example
Exercises

Chapter 3 Stress calculation in soil

3.1Guideline
3.2State of stress in soil
3.3Stresses due to self-weight
3.4Effective stress principle
3.5.1Foundation undersurface pressure distribution
3.5.2Simplified calculation of foundation undersurface pressure
3.5.3Calculation of foundation undersurface additional pressure
3.6.1Additional stress in ground base under vertical concentrated load
3.6.2Additional stress beneath a rectangular foundation due to a vertical uniform load
3.6.3 Additional stress beneath a rectangular foundation due to a vertical triangular load
3.7.1Additional stress beneath a strip foundation under vertical uniform load
3.7.2Additional stress beneath a strip foundation under vertical triangular load
3.8Summary
3.9 Calculation example
Exercises

Chapter 4 Soil compressibility and calculation of foundation settlement

4.1Guideline
4.2.1Soil compressibility
4.2.2Oedometer test
4.2.3Soil compressibility parameters
4.3 In-situ testing of soil compressibility
4.4.1 Calculation principle of layer-wise summation method
4.4.2 Calculation method of layer-wise summation method
4.5.1 Rebounding curve and recompression curve of soil
4.5.2 Stress history of natural soil
4.6.1 Consolidation of saturated soil
4.6.2 One dimensional consolidation theory of saturated soil
4.7Summary
4.8 Calculation example
Exercises

Chapter 5 Shear strength

5.1Guideline
5.2 Shear strength
5.3.1 Direct shear test
5.3.2 Principle of triaxial shear test
5.3.3 Types of the triaxial shear test
5.4.1 Mohr-Coulomb shear strength theory
5.4.2 Limit equilibrium condition of soil
5.4.3 Application of Mohr-Coulomb shear strength theory
5.5.1 Unconsolidated undrained shear strength
5.5.2 Consolidated undrained and consolidated drained shear strength
5.6Summary
5.7 Calculation example
Exercises

Chapter 6 Bearing capacity

6.1Guideline
6.2.1 Basic concept of subsoil deformation and stability
6.2.2 Basic failure modes of subgrade
6.3.1 Critical edge pressure
6.3.2 Bearing capacity of the finite plastic zone depth
6.4 Prandtl’s ultimate bearing capacity
6.5 Modification of Prandtl’s ultimate bearing capacity
6.6 Terzaghi’s ultimate bearing capacity
6.7 Determining bearing capacity according to code for design of building foundation
6.8 Determining bearing capacity according to field test
6.9Summary
6.10 Engineering case
Exercises