Course Details

Basic of Geotechnics

Academic Year 2024/25

BFA012 course is part of 1 study plan

BPC-EVB Summer Semester 2nd year

Geotechnical engineering presents an important part of modern civil engineering. Activities within this industry are foundation design, stabilising existing constructions, retaining structures design, underground structures design, soil improvement and many others. The role of this industry is growing in importance also due to an effort to utilize geotechnical constructions for energy purposes. The course is divided into two parts. Basic principles of soil mechanics important for practical applications are presented in the first part. Conclusion of the first part is focused on basics of thermo-mechanical behaviour of soils. The second part of the course presents an overview of special foundation including energy structures.

Credits

5 credits

Language of instruction

Czech

Semester

summer

Course Guarantor

Institute

Forms and criteria of assessment

course-unit credit and examination

Entry Knowledge

Knowledge of mathematics and physics at secondary school level, basics of structural mechanics.

Basic Literature

MASOPUST, Jan. Speciální zakládání staveb 1. díl. Akadem. nakl. CERM, 2004. (cs)
MASOPUST, Jan. Speciální zakládání staveb 2. díl. Akadem. nakl. CERM, 2006.  (cs)
BUDHU, Muniram. Soil mechanics fundamentals. John Wiley & Sons, 2015. (en)
ATKINSON, John. The mechanics of soils and foundations. CRC press, 2017. (en)
DUNCAN, J. Michael; WRIGHT, Stephen G.; BRANDON, Thomas L. Soil strength and slope stability. John Wiley & Sons, 2014. (en)

Offered to foreign students

Not to offer

Course on BUT site

Lecture

13 weeks, 2 hours/week, elective

Syllabus

  • 1. Introduction to soil mechanics, soil index properties.
  • 2. Basics of geomechanics – stress and strain in soil; Mohr´s circle; principle of effective stress, mechanical behavior of materials - elasticity, plasticity, failure; drained, undrained conditions.
  • 3. Compressibility of soils.
  • 4. Time dependent soil behavior, permeability, consolidation.
  • 5. Shear strength of soils.
  • 6. Basics of thermodynamics, heat transfer through soils.
  • 7. Thermo-mechanical behaviour of soils
  • 8. Introduction to the special foundation engineering.
  • 9. Shallow foundations.
  • 10. Deep foundations.
  • 11. Retaining structures.
  • 12. Energy geo-structures.
  • 13. Thermomechanical behaviour of energy geo-structures.

Exercise

13 weeks, 2 hours/week, compulsory

Syllabus

  • 1. Index properties of soils. Characteristics of phase relationship in the soil.
  • 2. Effective stress. Geostatic stress.
  • 3. Compressibility, consolidation – parameters evaluation.
  • 4. Laboratory of soil mechanics – mechanical properties.
  • 5. Shear strength of soils.
  • 6. Stress in soil due to surface load.
  • 7. Settlement calculation.
  • 8. Individual consultations.
  • 9. Bearing capacity of shallow foundation.
  • 10. Bearing capacity of deep foundation – ultimate limit state.
  • 11. Bearing capacity of deep foundations – serviceability limit state.
  • 12. Earth pressures. Design of unsupported retaining wall.
  • 13. Individual consultations. Credit.