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Soil Mechanics: Foundations and History

The document provides an introduction to soil mechanics. It defines soil mechanics as the application of mechanics and hydraulics to engineering problems involving soils. Soil mechanics deals with the forces acting on soils and water flow through soils. The father of soil mechanics is considered to be Karl Terzaghi, who established the field in the early 20th century. Soil mechanics is used to understand soil properties and behavior in order to analyze foundations and geotechnical systems. It involves understanding the stresses in soils, designing safe and economic foundations, predicting foundation settlement, and ensuring slope and structural stability. The document traces the early developments in soil mechanics back to Coulomb's work analyzing soil pressures on retaining walls in the late 18th century.

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67 views4 pages

Soil Mechanics: Foundations and History

The document provides an introduction to soil mechanics. It defines soil mechanics as the application of mechanics and hydraulics to engineering problems involving soils. Soil mechanics deals with the forces acting on soils and water flow through soils. The father of soil mechanics is considered to be Karl Terzaghi, who established the field in the early 20th century. Soil mechanics is used to understand soil properties and behavior in order to analyze foundations and geotechnical systems. It involves understanding the stresses in soils, designing safe and economic foundations, predicting foundation settlement, and ensuring slope and structural stability. The document traces the early developments in soil mechanics back to Coulomb's work analyzing soil pressures on retaining walls in the late 18th century.

Uploaded by

Abdirahman
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Soil Mechanics I General Introduction

CHAPTER ONE
1. Definition
The term soil mechanics was coined by Dr. karl Terzaghi and is the application of laws
of mechanics and hydraulics to engineering problems dealing with sediments and other
unconsolidated accumulations of soils particles produced by the mechanical and
chemical disintegration of rocks regardless whether or not they contain an admixture of
organic constituents: and therefore soil mechanics is branch of mechanics which deal
with the action of forces on soil and with flow of water in soil.
Soil engineering is not an exact science because of the nature and the variability of
soils; sweeping assumptions are in the derivation of equations.

1.1 Coulomb’s Contribution


Coulomb (1773) is credited as the first person to use mechanics to solve soil problems.
He was a member of the French Royal engineers, who were interested in protecting old
fortresses that fell easily from cannon fire. To protect the fortresses from artillery attack,
sloping masses of soil were placed in front of them (Fig. 1.1). The enemy had to tunnel
below the soil mass and the fortress to attack. Of course, the enemy then became an
easy target.

Figure 1.1: Unprotected and protected fortress.


The soil mass applies a lateral force to the fortress that could cause it to topple over
or slide away from the soil mass. Coulomb attempted to determine the lateral force so
that he could evaluate the stability of the fortress. He postulated that a wedge of soil
ABC (Fig. 1.1) would fail along a slip plane BC and this wedge would push the wall out
or over topple it as it moves down the slip plane. Movement of the wedge along the slip
plane would occur only if the soil resistance along the wedge were overcome. Coulomb
assumed that the soil resistance is provided by friction between the soil particles and the
Problem now becomes one of a wedge sliding on a rough (frictional) plane, which
you may have analyzed in your Physics or Mechanics course. Coulomb has tacitly
defined a failure criterion for soils. Today, Coulomb's failure criterion and method of
analysis still prevail.

Wollega University/College of Engineering and Technology /CoTM Dep’t Lecture Notes 1


Soil Mechanics I General Introduction

1.2 Birth of Soil Mechanics


From the early 20 th century, the rapid growth of cities, industry and commerce required
numerous building systems. For example, skyscrapers, large public buildings, dams for
electric power generation and reservoirs for water supply and irrigation, tunnels, roads
and railroads, port and harbor facilities, bridges, airports and runways, mining activities,
hospitals, sanitation systems, drainage systems, towers for communication systems, etc.
These building systems require stable and economic foundations and new questions
about soils were asked. For example,
what is the state of stress in a soil mass,
how to design safe and economic foundations,
how much would a building settle and
what is the stability of structures founded on or within soil?
We continue to ask these questions and to try to find answers as new issues has
confronted us. Some of these new issues include removing toxic compounds from soil
and water, designing foundations and earth structures to mitigate damage from
earthquakes and other natural hazards, and designing systems to protect the
environment.
Historical Background

To answer the above questions, we need the help of some rational method and,
consequently, soil mechanics was born. Karl Terzaghi (1883-1963) is the undisputed
father of soil mechanics. The publication of his book "Erdbaumechanik" in 1925 laid
the foundation for soil mechanics and brought recognition to the importance of soils in
engineering activities.
Karl Terzaghi
The “father of geotechnical engineering” Developed both the theory and practice of the
analysis of soils and the design of foundations Consolidation theory Bearing Capacity
of Shallow Foundations Design of retaining walls and cellular cofferdams
Wrote some of the first textbooks on soil mechanics and foundations design
Soil Mechanics in Engineering Practice (1948)
Theoretical Soil Mechanics (1943)

1.3 Soil Mechanics and its application to foundations


Soil mechanics also called geotechnique or geotechnics or geomechanics, is the
application of engineering mechanics to the solution of problems dealing with soils as a
foundation and a construction material. Engineering mechanics is used to understand
and interpret the properties, behavior, and performance of soils. Soil mechanics is a
subset of geotechnical engineering, which involves the application of soil mechanics,

Wollega University/College of Engineering and Technology /CoTM Dep’t Lecture Notes 2


Soil Mechanics I General Introduction

geology and hydraulics to the analysis and design of geotechnical systems such as dams,
embankments, tunnels, canals and waterways, foundations for bridges, roads, buildings,
etc. Every application of soil mechanics involves uncertainty because of the variability
of soils and their compositions. Thus, engineering mechanics can provide only partial
solutions to soil problems. Experience and approximate calculations are essential for the
successful application of soil mechanics to practical problems. Many of the calculations
that you will learn in this course are approximation

1.4 Problems in Geotechnical Engineering

All structures that are founded on earth rely on our ability to design safe and economic
foundations. Structural failures do occur due to different reasons. Some failures have
been catastrophic and caused severe damage to lives and properties. Failures occur
because of inadequate site and soil investigations; unforeseen soil and water conditions;
natural hazards; poor engineering analysis, design, construction, and quality control;
post-construction activities; and usage outside the design conditions. When failures are
investigated thoroughly, we obtain lessons and information that will guide us to prevent
similar types of failures in the future. Shear Failure-Loads have exceeded shear strength
capacity of soil.

Wollega University/College of Engineering and Technology /CoTM Dep’t Lecture Notes 3


Soil Mechanics I General Introduction

Wollega University/College of Engineering and Technology /CoTM Dep’t Lecture Notes 4

Common questions

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Geotechnical engineering considers the variability and complex nature of soils when designing stable and economic foundations. Primary considerations include understanding the state of stress in a soil mass, the soil's bearing capacity, potential settlement issues, soil resistance to shear failure, and unique site conditions like the presence of water or toxic compounds. Proper site and soil investigations are crucial to address these factors effectively, along with robust engineering analysis and quality control during construction .

Soil mechanics integrates with various engineering disciplines such as structural engineering, environmental engineering, and hydrology to address complex geotechnical problems collaboratively. It involves using principles of geology to assess soil composition, hydraulics to manage water interaction with soil, and mechanics for structural analysis. This interdisciplinary approach enables comprehensive solutions that consider physical, chemical, and environmental factors, ensuring the safety and efficiency of engineering projects across diverse conditions .

Soil mechanics is not considered an exact science due to the inherent variability in soil composition and behavior, which makes it challenging to apply uniform principles across different contexts. This variability necessitates the use of assumptions and approximations in engineering applications, leading to an emphasis on empirical data and experience. The implications for engineering include the need to incorporate safety factors, adaptive designs, and rigorous site-specific investigations to mitigate uncertainties and enhance the reliability of geotechnical solutions .

Unresolved questions in soil mechanics, such as accurately predicting soil behavior and overcoming the limits of current theories under new environmental and technical challenges, continue to push the boundaries of the field. These open questions drive innovation in research, particularly in areas like removing toxic compounds, designing stable foundations in seismic areas, and mitigating damage from natural hazards. The pursuit of these solutions fosters advancements in technology, theoretical models, and practical applications, ensuring the field evolves and adapts to modern needs .

The rapid industrialization and urbanization in the early 20th century presented complex engineering challenges that demanded a better understanding of soil behavior for structures like skyscrapers, dams, and tunnels. These projects catalyzed the development of soil mechanics, as engineers sought to design stable and economic foundations. The need to address issues like building settlement, soil stress, and stability led to the formal establishment of soil mechanics as an essential engineering discipline, spearheaded by pioneers like Karl Terzaghi .

Coulomb was instrumental in introducing mechanics to solve soil stability problems in the 18th century. His conceptualization of the soil as a wedge capable of failure along a slip plane laid the foundation for understanding lateral forces impacting structures. He developed methods to quantify these lateral forces, allowing for better evaluation of structural stability against soil pressure. This approach helps inform modern engineering practices by providing a method to predict failure criteria and improve structural safety .

Modern geotechnical challenges such as climate change effects, increased urbanization, and natural hazard mitigation necessitate the evolution of soil mechanics theories and practices. These challenges push the envelope in developing advanced modeling techniques, innovative materials, and adaptive engineering practices that can address complex and previously unheard-of conditions. Consequently, soil mechanics is continuously refined to solve contemporary engineering problems, ensuring safety, sustainability, and resilience in civil infrastructure .

Historical failures in soil-related engineering projects often reveal deficiencies in site investigation, soil analysis, and construction methods. Learning from these incidents underscores the necessity for thorough soil testing, accurate load assessment, and considerations of unforeseen conditions like weather impact and ground water level changes. These lessons have improved current practices by driving advancements in soil testing technologies, fostering more conservative design practices, and enhancing construction quality control to prevent similar failures and increase project robustness .

Shear failure occurs when the applied loads exceed the soil's inherent shear strength, potentially leading to structural instability or collapse. In geotechnical engineering, preventing shear failure involves rigorous analysis of soil properties, carefully considering soil stress conditions, and designing foundations that can accommodate stress without surpassing shear strength. This includes measures like reinforcing structures, underpinning foundations, or using stronger materials .

Karl Terzaghi is considered the father of soil mechanics, particularly because of his groundbreaking work in the field during the early 20th century. He developed both the theoretical and practical framework for the analysis of soils and the design of foundations. His publication "Erdbaumechanik" in 1925 was pivotal in establishing soil mechanics as an essential discipline in engineering. Terzaghi's contributions include the development of consolidation theory, the bearing capacity of shallow foundations, and the design of retaining walls and cellular cofferdams .

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