Geomechanics
Summary
The course covers engineering applications and challenges in geomechanics, including stress-strain behavior of geomaterials in variousconditions, triaxial testing,and constitutive frameworks for elasticity and plasticity.Practical insights are gained through workshops with geomechanics professionals
Content
- Engineering applications and challenges
- Basic concepts of continuum mechanics and geomechanics
- Stress-strain behaviour of geomaterials in drained and undrained conditions
- Laboratory tests with special focus on triaxial testing
- Practical aspects in geomechanics
- In-situ stress state
- In-situ geotechnical testing
- Numerical modelling in geotechnics
- Soil-structure interaction principles
- Stress-strain constitutive frameworks
- Elasticity: Linear and non-linear elasticity; Applications of elastic models
- Plasticity: Plasticity principle and yield criteria for geomaterials;
Critical state concept; Elasto-plastic stress-strain constitutive frameworks (among others Modified Cam-Clay model)
- Mechanics of unsaturated geomaterials
- Basic concepts
- Hydraulic and mechanical behaviour
- Effective stress definition for unsaturated geomaterials
- Retaining structures in saturated and unsaturated geomaterials
- Lateral earth pressure for saturated and unsaturated soils (Rankine's theory)
- Shear strength of unsaturated geomaterials
- Darcy's law for saturated and unsaturated geomaterials
- Time dependent behaviour of geomaterials
- Time-dependent phenomena
- Viscous deformations: basic concepts and experimental evidence
- Visco-elasto-plastic models
- Thermo-hydro-mechanical behaviour of geomaterials
- THM application in geomechanics
- Constitutive effect of temperature and experimental observations
- THM constitutive modelling
- Concepts of soil dynamics and local seismic response
- Soil cyclic behaviour and hydro-mechanical dynamic effects
- Dynamic liquefaction
- Models for soil cyclic response
- Local seismic response
- Advanced topics in geomechanics
- Energy related applications
- Bio-improved soils
- Seminar series with professionals in geomechanics and geotechnical engineering
Keywords
Mechanical behaviour of geomaterial, constitutive models, elasto-plasticity, numerical modelling in geomechanics, laboratory and in-situ testing
Learning Prerequisites
Required courses
Soil mechanics and groundwater seepage
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the course, the student must be able to:
- Recognize the stress path(s) to which the soil is subjected in the context of the engineering application of interest
- Use methods for evaluating the in-situ stress state
- Recognize the most suitable constitutive model for the problem of interest in relation to the soil and the problem itself
- Judge capabilities and limitations of constitutive models
- Assess / Evaluate Evaluate the geotechnical parameters governing the geomechanical problem
- Design laboratory or in-situ tests for the determination of the needed parameters
- Interpret /Process the experimental data resulting from a laboratory campaign in order to obtain the parameters of interest
- Assess / Evaluate the soils response under various environmental conditions (unsaturated, non-isothermal, dynamic)
- Use consciously a finite element software for creating a geomechanical model appropriate for the problem of interest
Transversal skills
- Set objectives and design an action plan to reach those objectives.
- Use a work methodology appropriate to the task.
- Communicate effectively with professionals from other disciplines.
- Demonstrate the capacity for critical thinking
- Use both general and domain specific IT resources and tools
- Access and evaluate appropriate sources of information.
Teaching methods
- Ex cathedra and exercices
Assessment methods
Final exam (written): 60% of the final mark
Mid-term exam (written): 20% of the final mark
Continuous assessment (workshops and projects): 20% of the final mark
Supervision
| Office hours | No |
| Assistants | Yes |
| Forum | No |
Resources
Bibliography
Lectures notes and handouts given during the course
Moodle Link
In the programs
- Semester: Fall
- Exam form: Written (winter session)
- Subject examined: Geomechanics
- Courses: 3 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks
- Exercises: 2 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks
- Type: optional
- Semester: Fall
- Exam form: Written (winter session)
- Subject examined: Geomechanics
- Courses: 3 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks
- Exercises: 2 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks
- Type: optional
- Semester: Fall
- Exam form: Written (winter session)
- Subject examined: Geomechanics
- Courses: 3 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks
- Exercises: 2 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks
- Type: optional
- Exam form: Written (winter session)
- Subject examined: Geomechanics
- Courses: 3 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks
- Exercises: 2 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks
- Type: optional