An Introduction to Soil Mechanics


Book Description

This textbook offers a superb introduction to theoretical and practical soil mechanics. Special attention is given to the risks of failure in civil engineering, and themes covered include stresses in soils, groundwater flow, consolidation, testing of soils, and stability of slopes. Readers will learn the major principles and methods of soil mechanics, and the most important methods of determining soil parameters both in the laboratory and in situ. The basic principles of applied mechanics, that are frequently used, are offered in the appendices. The author’s considerable experience of teaching soil mechanics is evident in the many features of the book: it is packed with supportive color illustrations, helpful examples and references. Exercises with answers enable students to self-test their understanding and encourage them to explore further through additional online material. Numerous simple computer programs are provided online as Electronic Supplementary Material. As a soil mechanics textbook, this volume is ideally suited to supporting undergraduate civil engineering students. “I am really delighted that your book is now published. When I “discovered” your course a few years ago, I was elated to have finally found a book that immediately resonated with me. Your approach to teaching soil mechanics is precise, rigorous, clear, concise, or in other words “crisp." My colleagues who share the teaching of Soil Mechanics 1 and 2 (each course is taught every semester) at the UMN have also adopted your book.” Emmanuel Detournay Professor at Dept. of Civil, Environmental, and Geo-Engineering, University of Minnesota, USA




An Introduction to Soil Mechanics and Foundations


Book Description

This book is mainly intended to meet the needs of undergraduate students of Civil Engineering. In preparing the first edition of this book, I had two principal aims: firstly to provide the student with a description of soil behavior-and of the effects of the clay minerals and the soil water on such behavior-which was rather more detailed than is usual in an elementary text, and secondly to encourage him to look critically at the traditional methods of analysis and design. The latter point is important, since all such methods require certain simplifying assumptions without which no solution is generally possible. Serious errors in design are seldom the result of failure to understand the methods as such. They more usually arise from a failure to study and understand the geology of the site, or from attempts to apply analytical methods to problems for which the implicit assumptions make them unsuitable. In the design of foundations and earth structures, more than in most branches of engineering, the engineer must be continually exercising his judgment in making decisions. The analytical methods cannot relieve him of this responsibility but properly used, they should ensure that his judgment is based on sound knowledge and not on blind intuition. I hope that the book will prove to be of use to students when their courses are over, and help to bridge the awkward gap between theory and practice.




Introduction to Soil Mechanics Laboratory Testing


Book Description

A step-by-step text on the basic tests performed in soil mechanics, Introduction to Soil Mechanics Laboratory Testing provides procedural aids and elucidates industry standards. It also covers how to properly present data and document results. Containing numerical examples and figures, the information presented is based on American Society f




Soil Mechanics


Book Description

"This introductory course on soil mechanics presents the key concepts of stress, stiffness, seepage, consolidation, and strength within a one-dimensional framework. Consideration of the mechanical behaviour of soils requires us to consider density alongside stresses, thus permitting the unification of deformation and strength characteristics. Soils are described in a way which can be integrated with concurrent teaching of the properties of other engineering materials. The book includes a model of the shearing of soil and some examples of soil-structure interaction which are capable of theoretical analysis using one-dimensional governing equations. The text contains many worked examples, and exercises are given for private study at the end of all chapters. Some suggestions for laboratory demonstrations that could accompany such an introductory course are sprinkled through the book." --Book Jacket.




Soil Mechanics Fundamentals


Book Description

While many introductory texts on soil mechanics are available, most are either lacking in their explanations of soil behavior or provide far too much information without cogent organization. More significantly, few of those texts go beyond memorization of equations and numbers to provide a practical understanding of why and how soil mechanics work.




Soil Mechanics and Foundations


Book Description

Discover the principles that support the practice! With its simplicity in presentation, this text makes the difficult concepts of soil mechanics and foundations much easier to understand. The author explains basic concepts and fundamental principles in the context of basic mechanics, physics, and mathematics. From Practical Situations and Essential Points to Practical Examples, this text is packed with helpful hints and examples that make the material crystal clear.







An Introduction to the Mechanics of Soils and Foundations


Book Description

Covering the undergraduate course in geotechnical engineering for civil engineers, this work sets out the basic theories of soil mechanics in a clear, simple way, combining both classical and critical state theories. By using short, focused chapters, the author ensures an accessible text while maintaining a continuous thread running through the book as theory develops into application. The treatment of soil mechanics is essentially theoretical but it is not highly mathematical and soil behaviour is represented by relatively simple equations with clearly defined parameters. The theory is supported by worked examples and simple experimental demonstrations.




Geotechnical Engineering


Book Description

Written by a leader on the subject, Introduction to Geotechnical Engineering is first introductory geotechnical engineering textbook to cover both saturated and unsaturated soil mechanics. Destined to become the next leading text in the field, this book presents a new approach to teaching the subject, based on fundamentals of unsaturated soils, and extending the description of applications of soil mechanics to a wide variety of topics. This groundbreaking work features a number of topics typically left out of undergraduate geotechnical courses.




Applied Soil Mechanics with ABAQUS Applications


Book Description

A simplified approach to applying the Finite Element Method to geotechnical problems Predicting soil behavior by constitutive equations that are based on experimental findings and embodied in numerical methods, such as the finite element method, is a significant aspect of soil mechanics. Engineers are able to solve a wide range of geotechnical engineering problems, especially inherently complex ones that resist traditional analysis. Applied Soil Mechanics with ABAQUS® Applications provides civil engineering students and practitioners with a simple, basic introduction to applying the finite element method to soil mechanics problems. Accessible to someone with little background in soil mechanics and finite element analysis, Applied Soil Mechanics with ABAQUS® Applications explains the basic concepts of soil mechanics and then prepares the reader for solving geotechnical engineering problems using both traditional engineering solutions and the more versatile, finite element solutions. Topics covered include: Properties of Soil Elasticity and Plasticity Stresses in Soil Consolidation Shear Strength of Soil Shallow Foundations Lateral Earth Pressure and Retaining Walls Piles and Pile Groups Seepage Taking a unique approach, the author describes the general soil mechanics for each topic, shows traditional applications of these principles with longhand solutions, and then presents finite element solutions for the same applications, comparing both. The book is prepared with ABAQUS® software applications to enable a range of readers to experiment firsthand with the principles described in the book (the software application files are available under "student resources" at www.wiley.com/college/helwany). By presenting both the traditional solutions alongside the FEM solutions, Applied Soil Mechanics with ABAQUS® Applications is an ideal introduction to traditional soil mechanics and a guide to alternative solutions and emergent methods. Dr. Helwany also has an online course based on the book available at www.geomilwaukee.com.