Introduction to Geotechnical

Engineering

ground

Typical Geotechnical Project

Geo-Laboratory
~ for testing

soil properties

Design Office
~ for design & analysis

m
l sa
soi
ple

s
l
i
ta
e
d
n
ig
s
de

construction site

Shallow Foundations
~ for transferring building loads to underlying ground
~ mostly for firm soils or light loads

firm
ground
bed rock

Deep Foundations
~ for transferring building loads to underlying ground
~ mostly for weak soils or heavy loads

P
I
L
E

weak soil

bed rock

Pier Foundations for Bridges

Millau Viaduct in France

(2005)

Pier Foundations for Bridges

Millau Viaduct in France

Retaining Walls
~ for retaining soils from spreading laterally

retaining
wall
Road
Train

Earth Dams
~ for impounding water

reservoir
clay
core

shell

soil

Concrete Dams

reservoir

concrete dam

soil

Concrete Dams

Three Gorges Dam, Hong

Kong

10

Concrete Dams

11

Earthworks
~ preparing the ground prior to construction

Roadwork, Pacific Highway

12

Sheet Piles
~ sheets of interlocking steel or timber driven into
the ground, forming a continuous sheet

warehouse

ship

sheet pile

13

Sheet Piles
~ used in temporary works

14

Cofferdam
~ sheet pile walls enclosing an area, to
prevent water seeping in

15

Landslides

16

Shoring
propping and supporting the exposed walls to
resist lateral earth pressures

17

Excavations

18

Earthquake Engineering

19

Ground Improvement

Sheepsfoot Roller to Compact Clay Soils

20

Ground Improvement

Smooth-wheeled Roller
21

Soil Testing

Vane Shear Test

Standard Penetration Test

Soil Testing

Triaxial Test on Soil Sample in Laboratory

23