Geo-engineering

The following topics on geo-engineering are considered prerequisite knowledge for the civil engineering MSc-programme:

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Soil Mechanics

Subject	Topic category / Learning objectives	Open Educational Resources[1]	Remarks
Soil Mechanics CTB2310	Soil Characteristics: Classification and mineralogy of soils; Grains, grain size distribution and porosity. ➤ Student can: - Explain the various soil characteristics and properties that together determine engineering soil behaviour.	- Soil classification and composition (particles, water, air)[2] - Soil Classification[3] - MIT lecture notes on Soil composition, index properties and soil classification[4]	- Soil Mechanics: Chapters 2 and 3
	Geomechanics: Stresses in soils and initial stress state: total stress, effective stress, pore pressure. ➤ Student can: - Identify and calculate stresses present in subsoil - Use the tensor notation for stresses - Explain the difference and relation between total stress, pore pressure and effective stress	- Stresses in soils[2] - Stresses and capillarity[3]	- Chapters 4 and 5
	Groundwater: Darcy’s law, groundwater flow and permeability. ➤ Student can: - Reproduce the Darcy equations - Calculate the specific discharge and friction under a given water pressure difference - Implement hydraulic conductivity in calculations - Explain the various forms of soil behaviour in the presence of groundwater	- Darcy’s law, permeability and groundwater flow[2] - Permeability and seepage[3] - Permeability 2020 (video)[12]	- Soil Mechanics: Chapters 6, 7 and 8 - Permeability 2020 (video): alternative source
	Flow nets ➤ Student can: - Understand basic principles of two dimensional flows through soil. - Build a flow net	- Flow net[2] - Seepage example[5]	- Soil Mechanics: Chapter 10
	Strains, stress-strain relationships and tangent modulus. ➤ Student can: - Unerstand the differences between soil compression and soil distorsion - Explain the concept of dilatancy - Use the tensor notation for stresses and strains Explain the difference between isotropic and deviator stresses	- Stress-strain relations and tangent-moduli[2]	- Soil Mechanics: Chapters 12 and 13
	Consolidation theory. ➤ Student can: - Explain why cyclic loading and unloading leads to a permanent increase in strain - Explain how loss of water will lead to consolidation Implement the equations to describe the consolidation process - Use analytical and numerical solution methods for solving one-dimensional consolidation problems	- 1D compression, consolidation and consolidation coefficient[2]	- Soil Mechanics: Chapters 14, 15 and 18
	Shear Strength of Soils ➤ Student can: - Explain the concept of Coulomb friction - Calculate the stress in a rotated plane from principal stresses using Mohr circle and its equations Calculate the shear stress in a certain plane from the principal stresses - Explain and use the Mohr-Coulomb failure criterion	- Shear strength[2]	- Soil Mechanics: Chapter 20
	Triaxial test ➤ Student can: - Describe the principles of a triaxial test in terms of principal and shear stresses - Evaluate laboratory data from triaxial tests to determine material parameter values.	- Triaxial tests and pore pressures[2] - Triaxial Test (UU) 2020 (video)[12]	- Soil Mechanics: Chapters 21 and 24 - Triaxial Test (UU) 2020 (video): alternative source
	Direct shear test ➤ Student can: - Describe the principles of a direct shear test in terms of principal and shear stresses - Evaluate laboratory data from direct shear tests to determine material parameter values.	- Shear test[2] - Direct shear[6] - Direct Shear Test 2020 (video)[12]	- Soil Mechanics: Chapter 22 - Direct Shear Test 2020 (video): alternative source
	Undrained behaviour of soils ➤ Student can: - Define undrained shear strength and its importance in geotechnical engineering - Interpret Mohr circle diagrams to determine undrained shear strength and estimate failure conditions of cohesive soils - Analyze the results of the consolidated undrained test (CU test) and unconsolidated undrained test (UU test) to assess undrained shear strength	- Undrained behaviour of soils[2]	- Soil Mechanics: Chapter 25
	Stress paths ➤ Student can: - Represent test results, and their correspondence with the stresses in the field, by means of a stress path τ - σ - Calculate stress path variables from principal stresses	- Stress paths[2]	- Soil Mechanics: Chapter 26
	Elastic stresses and deformations; elastic solutions ➤ Student can: - Explain the fundamental concepts of elasticity and the relationship between stress and strain in isotropic materials - Determine the stresses and deformations in a soil body due to loading - Understand and implement the Boussinesq equation to calculate stresses and settlements caused by concentrated loads on the soil surface - Understand and implement the Newmak equation to calculate stresses and settlements caused by some arbitrary load distribution on the surface - Evaluate the deformation behavior of layered soil systems	- Elastic stresses and deformations, Boussinesq, Newmark, Flamant and deformation of layered soil[2]	- Soil Mechanics: Chapters 27, 28, 29, 30 and 31

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Foundations

Subject	Topic category / Learning objectives	Open Educational Resources[1]	Remarks
Foundations CTB1410-20	Shallow foundations; Bearing capacity and limit state. ➤ Student can: - Make a well-founded assessment for the application of foundations - Make a simple, static bearing capacity and settlement calculation for a foundation including determination of relevant parameters - Be aware of the particularity of building on soft soil and the associated challenges	- Strip footing[2] - Bearing capacity[7] - Shallow Foundation Centrifuge Test Tutorial (video)[12]	- Soil Mechanics: Chapter 40 - Craig’s Soil Mechanics: Chapters 8.1 and 8.2
	Prandtl; Brinch Hansen ➤ Student can: - Understand how the forces from a structure can be transferred to the subsoil via a foundation structure	- Prandtl, limit theorems and Brinch Hansen[2]	- Soil Mechanics: Chapters 41, 42 and 43
	Pile foundations; bearing capacity and deformation characteristics. ➤ Student can: - Make a well-founded assessment for the application of foundations - Calculate the bearing capacity and deformation of pile foundations according to the applicable standards - Be aware of the particularity of building on soft soil and the associated challenges	Pile foundations[2]	- Soil Mechanics: Chapter 49
	Design standards ➤ Student can: - Name the usual technical and functional requirements that must be set for a (foundation) construction and, for a simple construction, is able to formulate these requirements himself - Choose the right foundation method - Understand the safety philosophy in accordance with the Eurocode and is able to apply it correctly	Design standards[11]	- Go through the different foundation types - Pay close attention to the rules of thumb
	Practical foundation design in collaboration with the structural engineer. ➤ Student can: -Understand the type of soil, the conditions for which the foundation is being designed and the correct foundation method.	Pile foundation design[10]	- Go through chapter 2 for the types of piles and to know what case each one is used for - Go through chapter 3 for the relavent calculations.
	Ground investigation and soil sampling. ➤ Student can: - Understand how geotechnical soil investigations (probing, drilling) are carried out - Derive geotechnical properties from soil research	Soil exploration[2] - CPT Experiment 2020 (video)[12]	- Soil Mechanics: Chapter 47 - CPT Experiment 2020 (video): alternative source

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Retaining structures and slope stability

Subject	Topic category / Learning objectives	Open Educational Resources[1]	Remarks
Retaining structures	Lateral earth pressure at rest; Passive and active pressures; Rankine; Coulomb.[8] ➤ Student can: - Understand the difference between neutral and active/passive earth pressure	- Lateral stresses in soils, Rankine and Coulomb[2] - Lateral Earth Pressures Part I - Lateral Earth Pressures Part II[8] - Mohr’s Circle & Mohr-Coulomb Failure Envelope (video)[12]	- Soil Mechanics: Chapters 32, 33, 34 and 35 - Mohr’s Circle & Mohr-Coulomb Failure Envelope (video): alternative source
	Sheet pile walls; Blum. ➤ Student can: - Calculate a simple retaining wall - Apply this to retaining walls and knows the failure mechanisms of the retaining wall - Plan an engineering strategy for analysing geotechnical problems involving retaining structures	-Sheet pile walls and Blum[2]	- Soil Mechanics: Chapters 36 and 37
Slope stability	Limit equilibrium methods; vertical slope; infinite slope; method of slices; Bishop ➤ Student can: - Plan an engineering strategy for analysing geotechnical problems involving slope stability.	- Vertical slope in cohesive material and slope stability[2] - Topics on slope stability analysis[9] - Fellenius & Bishop[12]	- Soil Mechanics: Chapters 44, 45 and 46 - Topics 1 to 8

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[1] (1,2,3)

This is an experimental Jupyter Book, part of an educational research project, made by staff and MSc students of TU Delft. The first two columns with required prior knowledge were defined by the admission committee Civil Engineering. Column 3 and 4 with Open Educational Resources (OER) is experimental. These OER materials are provided as a service. Although we did our best to collect OER that reflect the required knowledge as good as possible, based on surveys among students and discussion with staff members, unfortunately we can not give a guarantee that the quality of all material is good. Suggestions are welcome via email

[2] (1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19)

Verruijt, A. (2001). Soil mechanics. TU Delft.

[3] (1,2,3)

Sivakugan, N. (2004). Soil Classification.

[4]

MIT Open Courseware. (2004). Lecture notes Advanced soil mechanics: Soil composition, index properties and soil classification.

[12] (1,2,3,4,5,6,7)

Youtube channel from geo-engineering department of TU Delft

[5]

Video lectures uSeeGeo (2021). Chapter 8 Seepage.

[6]

Geoengineer.org. (2018). Direct shear test.

[7]

Craig, R.F. (2004) Craig’s Soil Mechanics (7th Edition). Spon Press. USA.

[11]

Quick Reference by Pasterkamp from TU Delft.

[10]

Notes for OCF1 Foundation Design 2023 from TU Delft.

[8] (1,2)

CEEN 341 - Lecture 23 - Lateral Earth Pressures, Part I, II and III.

[9]

Geoengineer.org. (2018). Introduction to slope stability.