GTE301T: GEOTECHNICAL

ENGINEERING III
Introduction to Geotechnical
Engineering

Dr GM Ochieng’
Tshwane University of Technology - Pretoria

Course Objective
• To provide students with physical,
mechanical, and mathematical tools and
concepts for the understanding of
engineering behaviour of soils and
introduction to engineering design of
geotechnical systems.

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Definitions - Soil
• Pedologist: Soil is the substance existing on the earth's
surface, which grows and develops plant life.
• Geologist: Soil is the material in the relative thin surface
zone within which roots occur, and all the rest of the crust
is grouped under the term ROCK irrespective of its
hardness. Also: unconsolidated rock, overburden
• Engineer: Soil is the un-aggregated or un-cemented
deposits of mineral and/or organic particles or fragments
covering large portion of the earth's crust.

(Ref: Tamal Tawfiq 2007)

Definitions
• Soil mechanics is a discipline that applies the
principles of engineering mechanics to soils to
predict the mechanical behaviour of soil.

• Geotechnical Engineering is the branch of civil

engineering that deals with soil, rock, and
underground water, and their relation to the design
construction and operation of engineering projects
(Coduto 1998)

2
Content
• Soil Mechanics:
– Physical Soil Parameters – permeability
constant
– Seepage though Soils
– Stress and Strain in Soils – Effective Stresses
– Shear Strength parameters in soils
– Deformation in Soils - Consolidation

Content
• Basic Geotechnical Engineering
Design
– Earth Pressure - Retaining Walls
– Slope Stability
– Bearing Capacity: Shallow and Deep
Foundation

3
Typical Geotechnical
Engineering Problems
• Can the soils and rocks properly
support the construction project?

(from Norwegian Geotechnical Institute, 2000) (from La Torre di Pisa, 2001)

Geotechnical Engineering
Problems
• How will the groundwater conditions impact the
engineering project?
Teton Dam Failure (1975)

(from The Teton Dam Flood 2001)

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Geotechnical Engineering
Problems
• How will the groundwater conditions impact the
engineering project?
Teton Dam Failure (1975) (cont.)

(from The Teton Dam Flood 2001)

Geotechnical Engineering
Problems
• How will the groundwater conditions impact the
engineering project?
Teton Dam Failure (1975) (cont.)

11 to 14 people died during

this failure…

(from The Teton Dam Flood 2001)

5
 Geotechnical Engineering
Problems
• What will be the impact of excavations, grading,
or filling?

Hong Kong:

(Hong Kong Slope Safety 2001)

(from BECC Engineering 2001)

Geotechnical Engineering
Problems
• Are natural or proposed earth slope stable?

(from Norwegian Geotechnical

Institute, 2001)

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 Geotechnical Design
• Design is the process whereby a problem is
solved for certain conditions and
constrains, and meeting specified
performance criteria.

• This definition applies to any civil and

geological engineering system.

Foundation Systems
• Designing of Shallow Foundation Systems –
Differential Settlements

“Kissing Silos”

(from Sharma 2003)

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 Foundation Systems
• Designing of Shallow Foundations Systems –
Bearing Capacity Failure

Transcona
Grain Elevator

(from Budhu 2000)

Foundation Systems
Deep Foundation Systems: Driven Piles

8
 Foundation Systems
Deep Foundation Systems: Drilled Shafts

Earth Pressure
and Retaining Walls
• Designing of retaining walls
Reinforced Earth

(from BECC
Engineering 2001)

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Earth Pressure
and Retaining Walls
• Reinforced Earth Walls

(The Reinforced Wall Company 2003)

Earth Pressure
and Retaining Walls
• Sheet Piles

(Boulanger and Duncan 2003)

10
Retaining Structure Systems
• Gabions

(Gabions LEMAC (2003)

Retaining Structure Systems

• Tie-backs

(Boulanger and Duncan 2003)

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Retaining Structure Systems
• Excavation Support Systems

(Boulanger and Duncan 2003)

Soil Improvement
• Stone Columns

(Boulanger and Duncan 2003)

12
Soil Improvement
• Jet Grouting

(Boulanger and Duncan 2003)

Soil Improvement
• Compaction Grouting

(Boulanger and Duncan 2003)

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Soil Improvement
• Chemical Injection

(Boulanger and Duncan 2003)

Geotechnical Earthquake
Engineering
• Effects of earthquakes
1964 Niigata Earthquake 1967 Caracas Earthquake

(from Kramer – (from Alshibli 2001)

www.ce.washington.edu 1996)

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Geotechnical Earthquake
Engineering
• Effects of earthquakes
1995 Kobe Earthquake 1999 Chi Chi Earthquake

(Boulanger and Duncan 2006)

Geosynthetics
• Geosynthetic stabilized walls

(kshitija.wordpress.com 2007) (Environmental Science & Engineering 2007)

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Geoenvironmental Engineering

• Characterization and remediation of Geo-

environmental hazards
MSW Landfill

(from Willmer 2001) (from Norwegian Geotechnical Institute 2001)

Some Suggestions
Attend the lectures.
It
It takes
takes longer
longer to
to understand
understand
from
from the
the lecture
lecture notes
notes

Develop a good feel for the subject.

It
It isis practical,
practical, interesting
interesting and
and
makes
makes lot lot of
of sense.
sense.

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 Some Suggestions…

Work in groups!!.

Some Suggestions…

Thou shall not wait till the last minute!!.

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Exams

My mama always said, “Exam is like a box

of chocolates; you never know what you
gonna get”

Recipe for Success

I like soils… I like soils….I like soils….

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 Bibliography
• Hong Kong Slope Safety (2001). Company Web Site.
http://hkss.ced.gov.hk/hkss/eng/index.htm
• Norwegian Geotechnical Institute (2001). Institute Web Site.
http://www.ngi.no/english/default.htm
• Praad Geotechnical, Inc. Consulting Engineers (2001). Company Web Site.
http://www.praad.com/
• BECC, Inc. (2001). Company Web Site. http://beccinc.com/geotechnical.htm
• Willmer Engineering, Inc. (2000). Company Web Site.
http://www.willmerengineering.com/
• Coduto, D. (1999). Geotechnical Engineering. Principles and Practice. Prentice-Hall.
• La Torre di Pisa (2001). Official Web Site. http://torre.duomo.pisa.it/
• The Leaning Tower (2001). Web Site. http://www.cisiau.unipi.it/~pierotti/Torre/
• The Teton Dam Flood (2000). Web Site.
http://www.ida.net/users/elaine/idgenweb/flood.htm
• McCarthy, D. (1998). Essential of Soil Mechanics and Foundation. Prentice-Hall.
• Kramer, S. (1996). Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering. Prentice-Hall.
• Budhu, M. (2000). Soil Mechanics and Foundations. Wiley.

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