Category: 2. Geotechnical Engineering

Geosynthetics is a term used to describe a range of synthetic products that are used to help solve certain geotechnical problems. The term is generally considered to encompass four main products: geotextiles, geogrids, geomembranes and geocomposites. The synthetic nature of the products makes them suitable for use in the ground where a high level of…

Geophysical methods are used in geotechnical investigations to evaluate the behavior of a site in an earthquake event. By measuring the shear wave velocity of a soil, the dynamic response of that soil can be estimated. Several methods are used to determine the shear wave velocity of a site: The cross-hole methodDownhole method (with seismic…

A variety of laboratory tests can be performed on soil to measure various soil properties. Some soil properties are embedded in the structure of the soil matrix and are not affected by sample deformation, while other properties depend on the soil composition and its composition, and can be effectively tested only in relatively inert conditions.…

A standard penetration test (SPT) is an internal dynamic penetration test designed to provide information on soil properties, while also collecting rough soil samples for grain size analysis and soil classification. go The Cone Penetration Test (CPT) is performed using an instrumented probe with a conical tip, which is hydraulically pushed into the soil at…

Soil samples are taken using a variety of samplers; some provide only disturbed samples, while others can provide relatively undisturbed samples.Shovel: Samples can be obtained by digging out soil from the site. Samples taken this way are disturbed samples. Hand/Machine-driven auger: This sampler typically consists of a short cylinder with a cutting edge attached to a rod…

Borings come in two main varieties, large-diameter and small-diameter borings. Large-diameter borings are rarely used due to safety concerns and expense, but are sometimes used to allow a geologist or engineer to visually and manually examine the soil and rock stratigraphy in situ. Small-diameter borings are frequently used to allow a geologist or engineer examine…

Geotechnical investigations are carried out by geotechnical engineers or engineering geologists to obtain information about the physical properties of the soil and rocks surrounding a site in order to design foundations for earthworks and proposed structures and To repair damage to structures caused by earthworks and ground conditions. A geotechnical investigation will include surface exploration…

The following soil properties are used by geotechnical engineers in the analysis of site conditions and the design of earthworks, retaining structures and foundations.Unit Weight Total unit weight: Cumulative weight of the solid particles, water and air in the material per unit volume. Note that the air phase is often assumed to be weightless. Dry…

Seepage is the flow of fluid through soil pores. After measuring or estimating the intrinsic permeability (κi), one can calculate the hydraulic conductivity (K) of the soil, and the flow rate can be estimated. K has unit m/s and is the average velocity of water moving through a porous medium under a unit hydraulic gradient.…

The field of slope stability covers the static and dynamic stability analysis of earth slopes and rock-fill dams, other types of embankment slopes, excavated slopes, and natural slopes in soil and soft rock. As seen on the right, soil slopes can develop shear-spherical weakness zones. The probability of this occurring can be predicted in advance…