EAG 345 – GEOTECHNICAL

ANALYSIS

By: Dr Mohd Ashraf Mohamad

Ismail
Basic description of the course:

 3 units
 60 % examination; 40 % course work
 40 % course work
- Test (10%)
- Assignment (20%)
- Quiz (10%)
Outdoor Class for Site Investigation:

 Piezocone
 Makintosh Probe
 Seismic Refraction
 Electrical Resistivity
 Wash Boring and soil sampling
Objective of the course:
To ensure the students are able to explain the soil
mechanics aspect in solving problems related to:

 Shear strength of soil

 Site investigation
 Slope stability
 Passive and active earth pressure
 Retaining wall
 Shallow and deep foundation
Course outcome:
1. Able to explain the theories related to the
geotechnical analysis
2. Able to analyze, calculate and solve problem in
geotechnical analysis
3. Able to relate and discuss the theories related to
the geotechnical analysis.
Attendance:
 Less than 20% will be barred from taking final
examination.
 Need to pass both of the course components (i)
coursework and (ii) examination
Time table:
Monday: 9.00 – 10.00 am (DK5)
Wednesday: 9.00 – 11.00 am (DK8)

16 and 23 September classes cancelled and replaced

to 17/9 (Tuesday): 8.30 – 10.30 pm (BK1)
Rules and regulations in class:
 Come to class on time.
 Attend to personal needs before coming to class.
 Do not eat in class unless you have been given
special permission (can drink! No problem).
 Bring required materials every day unless you are
otherwise directed.
 Talk only when permitted or necessary.
 Use polite words and body language when asking
questions.
 Do not cheat during quiz, assignment, test and
examination.
 Reference:
1. Budhu, M. (2010). Soil Mechanics and Foundations (3 ed.): Wiley.
2. Das, B. M. (2010). Fundamentals of Geotechnical Engineering (3 ed.): CL-
Engineering.
3. Das, B. M. (2009). Principles of Geotechnical Engineering (7 ed.): CL-Engineering.
4. Craig, R. F. (2004). Craig's Soil Mechanics (7 ed.): Spon Press.
5. Mitchell, J. K., and Soga, K. (2005). Fundamentals of Soil Behavior (3 ed.): Wiley.
6. Terzaghi, K., Peck, R. B., and Mesri, G. (1996). Soil Mechanics in Engineering Practice (3
ed.): Wiley-Interscience.
7. Duncan, J. M., and Wright, S. G. (2005). Soil Strength and Slope Stability (1 ed.): Wiley.
8. Das, B. M. (2010). Principles of Foundation Engineering (7 ed.): CL-Engineering.
9. Waltham, T. (2002). Foundations of Engineering Geology (2 ed.): Spon Press.
10. Dunnicliff, J. (2008). Geotechnical Instrumentation for Monitoring Field Performance (1
ed.): Wiley-Interscience.
11. Holtz, R. D., and Kovacs, W. D. (2010). An Introduction to Geotechnical Engineering (2
ed.): Prentice Hall.
Teaching plan :
1. Dr Mohd Ashraf Mohamad Ismail (P) – 6 weeks
2. Prof. Dr. Nor Azazi Zakaria – 4 weeks
3. Prof. Dr. Fauziah Ahmad (CM)– 4 weeks
Week Date Sub topics Lecturer

1 12/9 – 16/9
(1) SHEAR STRENGTH OF SOIL
2 19/9 – 23/9 Introduction to shear strength of soil; Typical response of soils to shearing force; Mohr-
MAI
3 26/9 – 30/9 coulomb failure criterion and failure envelope, Mohr's circle; Determination of shear
strength parameters of soils form field and laboratory tests.
4 3/10 – 7/10

5 10/10 – 14/10

6 17/10 – 21/10
(2) SITE INVESTIGATION (3) SHALLOW AND DEEP FOUNDATIONS SYSTEM NAZ
7 24/10 – 28/10

8 31/10 – 4/11

9 5/11 – 13/11 Semester break (Aidiladha)

10 14/11 – 18/11 (4) SLOPE STABILITY

11 21/11 – 25/11 Types and causes of slope failure; infinite slopes; 2-D slope stability analysis; Slope factor
MAI
of safety; 2 days seminar of slope stability analysis using GEO-Studio (Slope-W, Seep W
and Sigma-W); Guest lecture from Slope Engineering Branch, JKR or PLUS

12 28/11 – 2/12

13 5/12 – 9/12
(5 ) PASSIVE AND ACTIVE PRESSURE; (6) RETAINING WALL MRS
14 12/12 – 16/12

15 19/12 – 23/12
Teaching plan :
Week Date Lecturer Topics
1 09/09/13 Dr Ashraf Soil shear strength
2 16/09/13 Dr Ashraf Soil shear strength
3 23/09/13 Dr Ashraf Soil shear strength
4 30/09/13 Dr Ashraf Soil shear strength
5 07/10/13 Prof. Azazi Site investigation
6 14/10/13 Prof. Azazi Site investigation
7 21/10/13 Prof. Fauziah Lateral earth pressure
8 28/10/13 Prof. Fauziah Lateral earth pressure
9 02/11/13 SEMESTER BREAK
10 11/11/13 Prof. Fauziah Retaining wall and braced excavation
11 18/11/13 Prof. Fauziah Retaining wall and braced excavation
12 25/11/13 Dr Ashraf Slope stability
13 02/12/13 Dr Ashraf Slope stability
14 09/12/13 Prof. Azazi Shallow and deep foundation
15 16/12/13 Prof. Azazi Shallow and deep foundation
16 REVISION WEEK
17-19 EXAMINATION
20-23 SEMESTER BREAK
Quiz 1:
In a piece of paper give the definitions for the
terminology as listed below:

 Unit weight (Dry, saturated and bulk)

 OCR – over consolidation ratio
 Optimum water content (OMC)
 Hydraulic conductivity
 Consolidation
 Compaction
Answer for Quiz 1:
 Unit weight – the weight density (weight divided by
volume)
 OCR– highest stress experienced by the soil divided by
the current stress experienced by the soil.
 Optimum water content (OMC) – The water
content attained by a soil at a maximum dry unit weight
in a proctor compaction test
 Hydraulic conductivity – the rate of flow of fluid
through soils
 Consolidation – reduction in the soil volume by
expulsion of water under long term static loads
 Compaction – reduction / densification / reduction in
void ratio of a soil through the expulsion of air.
Assignment 1:
In a group of 4 or 5 ( 1 Malaysia) list down all the terms
together with the definition (brief and straightforward) that
you think important in the listed chapter below:

1. Origin of soil and grain size

2. Weight volume relationship
3. Plasticity and structure of soil
4. Classification of soil
5. Soil compaction
6. Permeability and seepage
7. In-situ stresses
8. Compressibility of soil (consolidation and etc.)

Due date: 2 October 2013 before 5.00 pm

Laboratory experiment: (EAA 305)
 Proctor Test

 Sieve analysis and Atterberg limit test

 Permeability and field density test

EAA 305 briefing:

Date: 10 September 2011 (Tuesday)

Time: 2.00 pm (Don't Late)

Venue: BK1 PPKA

Attendance: Compulsory (will be deduct 5 marks from first laboratory test for those who
are not coming without any acceptable reason)
SHEAR STRENGTH OF SOILS
Objectives:

You will learn:

 How to determine the shear strength of soils
 Understands the differences between drained and
undrained shear strength
 Determine the type of shear test that best
simulates field conditions
 How to interpret laboratory and field test results
to obtain shear strength parameters.
 Important of Shear Strength for geotechnical
engineering application
(i) Shear failure of soils
 Would you like this to happen?

 The failure occurs because the shear strength of the soil is exceeded.

 We need to determine the soil’s shear strength and design the slope so
that the shear stress imposed is not greater than the shear strength of
the soil.
 Strength of different materials

Steel Concrete Soil

Tensile Compressive Shear

strength strength strength

Presence of pore water

Complex
behavior
 Strength of different construction
materials
Example of material involved in
the construction of suspension
bridge:

I. Steel = suspension cable

II. Concrete = road deck
III. Soil/Rock = foundation

Load Load

Steel

Concrete

Soil/Rock
Load
 Strength of soil

Virtually all the Civil

Engineering projects
come into contact with Slope
soil either on soil, in soil
or made off soil. Foundation

For example: Tunnel

•Foundation
•Slope
•Tunnel

Unfortunately soil is not man made such as concrete or steel.

Its undergone natural processes which make it a complex and heterogeneous
materials which feature a wide range of mechanical/hydraulic behaviors
 Shear failure of soils
Soils generally fail in shear

Embankment

Strip footing

Failure surface

Mobilized shear
resistance

At failure, shear stress along the failure surface

(mobilized shear resistance) reaches the shear strength.
Shear failure of soils - Embankment

Embankment Failure
 Shear failure of soils
Soils generally fail in shear

Retaining
wall
 Shear failure of soils
Soils generally fail in shear

Mobilized shear
Retaining
resistance
wall

Failure
surface

At failure, shear stress along the failure surface

(mobilized shear resistance) reaches the shear strength.
Shear failure of soils – Retaining wall
Shear failure mechanism

failure surface

The soil grains slide

over each other along
the failure surface.

No crushing of
individual grains.
 Shear failure mechanism

At failure, shear stress along the failure surface ()

reaches the shear strength (f).