Geotechnics

Period: Second semester

Course Unit Contents:  The course introduces the basic concepts of geotechnics, with application examples and presentation of case studies. The topics begin with the description of the basic characteristics of the soil, differentiating the mechanical behavior of granular and cohesive soils. The concepts related to the behavior of soil in relation to water are then addressed, both in hydrostatic and in seepage conditions. The course then presents the main methods for characterizing the mechanical behavior of the soil, both in the laboratory and on site, with hints of specific soil constitutive modeling. The concept of shear strength of a soil is analyzed, distinguishing the short terms and the long terms behavior of a soil, with some hints about the problem of soil liquefaction. Finally, the concepts presented are applied to slope stability problems, both theoretically and through practical exercises and case study analyzes.