Duration
26h Th, 26h Pr, 1d FW, 2h Labo.
Number of credits
Lecturer
Language(s) of instruction
French language
Organisation and examination
Teaching in the second semester
Schedule
Units courses prerequisite and corequisite
Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program
Learning unit contents
During this course, fist the concepts of soil mechanics will be presented. In the following, they will be used for the design and computation of earth structures. The course will deal with the following subjects :
- Identification and classification of soils
- Proctor compaction test
- Groundwater (darcy's law, steady state flow)
- Stress state in soil (effective stress)
- One dimensional compression (consolidation and compressibility)
- Soil behaviour upon shearing (direct shear test, triaxial test)
- In-situ testing (geotechnical investigations program; CPT, pressuremeter and other in-situ tests)
- Earth pressure against wall (Rankine limit state and limit equilibrium method)
- Shallow foundation (bearing capaicty and settlement),
- Pile foundation (bearing capacity of pile)
- Retaining wall (gravity and sheet-pile wall)
- Slope stability
Learning outcomes of the learning unit
In the term of course, the student will master the fundamental principles and the laws of the soil mechanics. He will be capable of choosing the tests of physical and mechanical characterizations suited to answer a given problem. He will be also capable of interpreting them and of applying them to the sizing of the foundations, retaining structure and slopes. After completing the course the student is expected to
- Choose a geotechnical testing campaign
- Interpret the main field and laboratory tests
- Calculate stress distribution under applied loads
- Design a shallow foundation for bearing capacity (ULS) and settlement (SLS)
- Design soil retaining structures (gravity walls, sheet piles)
- Verify stability and safety of natural and manmade slopes
Prerequisite knowledge and skills
Solid mechanics
Planned learning activities and teaching methods
The theoretical course bases on presentations ex--cathédra. The notions seen in the theoretical course are illustrated through practical class, under the shape of exercises to be solved by the student by means of managerial employees. These sessions take place in room. Additional exercices are proposed on the course eCampus website. A visit of the laboratory of geotechnics and potentially a visit of construction site are organized. The sessions of exercises and the visits are intended to facilitate the student to master the subject.
Mode of delivery (face to face, distance learning, hybrid learning)
Face-to-face course
Additional information:
The course is delivered in French.
Recommended or required readings
Lectures notes are avalaible at student centrale des cours - AEES. All the pdf file and the slides used for the theoretical course are available on eCampus.
Exam(s) in session
Any session
- In-person
written exam ( open-ended questions ) AND oral exam
Additional information:
The final mark of the course is made of 2 parts:
- Written, open-book, exam based on exercises (50% of the final mark)
- Oral, closed-book, theoretical exam
Work placement(s)
Organisational remarks and main changes to the course
During the sessions of practical class, the student will have to arm himself with a calculator.
Le cours se donne en français.
Contacts
Bertrand FRANCOIS, bertrand.francois@uliege.be