College of Engineering Soil Mechanic Lecture notes

Department of Dam & Water Resources Lecturer: Chener S. Qadr

Chapter 1 Introduction to Soil Mechanics

Learning Outcomes
When you complete this chapter, you should be able to do the following:

 Understand the importance of Soil mechanic and

 Be familiar with some basic terms in Soil mechanics.

Soil
For engineering purposes, soil is defined

Geotechnical engineering
Geotechnical engineering the branch of Civil Engineering that deals with the properties of soils
and rocks and their capability of supporting structures placed on or under them. ” It includes the
application of the principles of soil mechanics and rock mechanics to the design of
foundations, z retaining structures, and earth structures.

Soil mechanic
Soil mechanic is the branch of science that deals with the study of the physical properties of soil
and the behaviour of soil masses subjected to various types of forces. Soil engineering is the
application of the principles of soil mechanics to practical problems.

A good understanding of soil behaviour is necessary for us to analyse and design support systems
(foundations) for infrastructures (e.g., roads and highways, pipelines, bridges, tunnels,
embankments), energy systems (e.g., hydroelectric power stations, wind turbines, solar supports,
geothermal and nuclear plants) and environmental systems (e.g., solid waste disposal, reservoirs,
water treatment and water distribution systems, flood protection systems). The stability and life of
any of these systems depend on the stability, strength, and deformation of soils. If the soil fails,
these systems founded on or within it will fail or be impaired, regardless of how well these systems
are designed. Thus, successful civil engineering projects are heavily dependent on our
understanding of soil behaviour.

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION TO SOIL MECHANICS 1

College of Engineering Soil Mechanic Lecture notes
Department of Dam & Water Resources Lecturer: Chener S. Qadr

Characteristics of Geotechnical (Soil) Engineering

- Works in a complex environment
- Requires a higher degree of judgment than other branches of engineering
- More than one “acceptable” solution to any problem
- The integrity of the structure above is dependent upon the quality of the foundation below

Importance of Soil (Geotechnical) Engineering

Soil Engineering has vast application in the construction of various civil engineering works.
Some of the importance applications are as under:

1) Foundations
Every Civil Engineering structure, whether it is a building, a bridge, or a dam, is founder on
or below the surfaces of the earth. Foundations are required to transmit the load of the
structure to soil safely and efficiently.
A foundation is termed shallow foundation when it transmits the load to upper strata (layer)
of earth. A foundation is called deep foundation when the load is transmitted to strata (layer)
at considerable depth below the ground surfaces (Figure 1.1). Pad foundation (footing) and
raft are an example of shallow foundation whereas pile foundation is a type of deep
foundation. Soil engineering provides the methods for selecting (analysis and design) of a suitable
type of foundation.

Figure 1.1 Different type of Foundation

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION TO SOIL MECHANICS 2

College of Engineering Soil Mechanic Lecture notes
Department of Dam & Water Resources Lecturer: Chener S. Qadr

2) Retaining Structures
When sufficient space is not available for a mass of soil to spread and from a safe slope, a
structure is required to retain the soil. An earth retaining structure is also required to keep the soil
at different levels on its either side. The retaining structure may be a rigid retaining wall or a
sheet pile bulkhead which is relatively flexible (Figure 1.2). Soil engineering gives the theories of
earth pressure on retaining structures.

Figure 1.2 Retaining Structures

3) Stability of Slopes
If soil surfaces is not horizontal, there is a component of weight of the soil which tend to move it
downward and thus cause instability of slope. The slopes may be natural or man-made. Figure
1.4 shows slopes in filling and cutting. Soil engineering provides the methods for checking the
stability of slopes.

Figure 1.3 Slopes in a) Filling and b) Cutting

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION TO SOIL MECHANICS 3

College of Engineering Soil Mechanic Lecture notes
Department of Dam & Water Resources Lecturer: Chener S. Qadr

4) Underground Structures
The design and construction of underground structures, such as tunnels, shafts, and conduits
(pipes), required evaluation of forces exerted by the soil on these structures. These forces are
discussed in soil engineering. Figure 1.5 shows a tunnel constructed below the ground surfaces and
a conduit laid below the ground surfaces.

Figure 1.5 Underground Structures

5) Pavement Design

A Pavement is a hard curst places on soil (subgrade) for the purpose of providing a smooth and strong
surface on which vehicles can move. The pavement consists of surfacing, such as a bitumen layers,
base and sub-base (Figure 1.6). The behaviour of subgrade under various conditions of loading and
environmental changes is studies in soil engineering.

Figure 1.6 Pavement details

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION TO SOIL MECHANICS 4

College of Engineering Soil Mechanic Lecture notes
Department of Dam & Water Resources Lecturer: Chener S. Qadr

6) Earth Dams
Earth dams are huge structures in which soil is used as a construction materials (Figure 1.7). The
earth dams are built for creating water reservoir. Since the failure of an earth dam may cause
widespread catastrophe, extreme care is taken in its design and construction. It required a
thorough knowledge of soil engineering.

Figure 1.7 Earth Dams

7) Miscellaneous Soil Problems

The geotechnical engineer has sometimes to tackle miscellaneous problems related with soil, such as soil
heave, soil subsidence, frost heave, shrinkage and swelling of soils. Soil engineering provides an in-
depth study of such problems.

Historical Background
In true engineering terms, the understanding of geotechnical engineering as it is known today began early
in the 18th century (Skempton, 1985). For years, the art of geotechnical engineering was based on only
past experiences through a succession of experimentation without any real scientific character. Based on
those experimentations, many structures were built—some of which have crumbled, while others are still
standing.

Karl Terzaghi

- He is referred to as the “father of geotechnical engineering”

- Developed both the theory and practice of the analysis of soils and the design of foundations
- Consolidation theory
- Bearing Capacity of Shallow Foundations
- Design of retaining walls and cellular cofferdams
- Wrote some of the first textbooks on soil mechanics and foundations design
- Soil Mechanics in Engineering Practice (1948) and Theoretical Soil Mechanics (1943)

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION TO SOIL MECHANICS 5