This document provides an introduction and overview of geotechnical engineering. It discusses typical geotechnical projects including soil testing in geo-laboratories and foundation design. It describes different foundation types such as shallow foundations for firm soils/light loads and deep foundations for weak soils/heavy loads. Other topics covered include retaining walls, earth and concrete dams, tunneling, soil nailing, sheet piles, cofferdams, landslides, mining, blasting, ground improvement techniques, and landmark geotechnical engineering projects. The document emphasizes attending lectures, developing a practical understanding, working in groups, and not procrastinating as keys to success in the course.

1. Introduction to Geotechnical
Engineering
ground
N. Sivakugan
SIVA
Duration: 13 mins
1

2. Typical Geotechnical Project
Geo-Laboratory
~ for testing
soil properties
Design Office
~ for design & analysis
m
l sa
soi
ple
ils
eta
nd
sig
de
s
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Copyright © 2001 construction site
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4. Shallow Foundations
~ for transferring building loads to underlying ground
~ mostly for firm soils or light loads
firm
ground
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Copyright © 2001
bed rock
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5. Shallow Foundations
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6. Deep Foundations
~ for transferring building loads to underlying ground
~ mostly for weak soils or heavy loads
P
I
L
E
weak soil
bed rock
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Copyright © 2001
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7. Deep Foundations
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Driven timber piles, Pacific Highway
Copyright © 2001
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8. Pier Foundations for Bridges
Millau Viaduct in France (2005)
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

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Cable-stayed bridge
Supported on 7 piers, 342 m apart
Longest pier (336) in the world
A separate slideshow on the construction is
in the bottom drawer
8
Copyright © 2001

9. Pier Foundations for Bridges
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Copyright © 2001
Millau Viaduct in France (2005) 9

10. Retaining Walls
~ for retaining soils from spreading laterally
retaining
wall
Road
Train
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Copyright © 2001
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11. Earth Dams
~ for impounding water
reservoir
clay
core
shell
soil
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Copyright © 2001
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12. Concrete Dams
reservoir
concrete dam
soil
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Copyright © 2001
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13. Concrete Dams
Three Gorges Dam, Hong Kong
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14. Concrete Dams
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15. Earthworks
~ preparing the ground prior to construction
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Copyright © 2001
Roadwork, Pacific Highway
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16. Construction hazard
~ an unwelcome visitor at an earthwork site.
What does it have
to do with Geo?#!
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Copyright © 2001
A dead Anaconda python (courtesy: J. Brunskill)
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17. Geofabrics
~ used for reinforcement, separation, filtration and
drainage in roads, retaining walls, embankments…
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Copyright © 2001
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Geofabrics used on Pacific Highway

18. Reinforced Earth Walls
~ using geofabrics to strengthen the soil
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Copyright © 2001
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19. Tunneling
MSE (Mechanically
stabilised Earth) wall
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Copyright © 2001
Chile (2006) – during my sabbatical leave
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20. Tunneling
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Copyright © 2001
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21. Soil Nailing
~ steel rods placed into holes drilled into the walls
and grouted
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Copyright © 2001
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22. Retaining Walls
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Copyright © 2001
Rock anchors to support the vertical walls
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23. Sheet Piles
~ sheets of interlockingsteel or timber driven into
the ground, forming a continuous sheet
warehouse
ship
sheet pile
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Copyright © 2001
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24. Sheet Piles
~ resist lateral earth pressures
~ used in excavations, waterfront structures, ..
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25. Sheet Piles
~ used in temporary works
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Copyright © 2001
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26. Sheet Piles
~ interlocking sections
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27. Cofferdam
~ sheet pile walls enclosing an area, to
prevent water seeping in
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28. Cofferdam
~ sheet pile walls enclosing an area, to
prevent water seeping in
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Copyright © 2001
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29. Landslides
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30. Shoring
propping and supporting the exposed walls to
resist lateral earth pressures
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Copyright © 2001
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31. Excavations
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Copyright © 2001
Chile (2006) – during my sabbatical leave
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32. Mining
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Copyright © 2001
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33. Blasting
For ore recovery in mines
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Copyright © 2001
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34. Earthquake Engineering
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Copyright © 2001
Loma Preita Earthquake, San Francisco (1989)
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35. Ground Improvement
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Copyright © 2001
Impact Roller to Compact the Ground
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36. Ground Improvement
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Copyright © 2001
Sheepsfoot Roller to Compact Clay Soils
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37. Ground Improvement
Smooth-wheeled Roller
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Copyright © 2001
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38. Ground Improvement
Big weights dropped
from 25 m, compacting
the ground.
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Craters formed in compaction
Copyright © 2001
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39. Environmental Geomechanics
Waste Disposal in Landfills
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Copyright © 2001
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40. Instrumentation
~ to monitor the performances of earth and
earth supported structures
~ to measure loads, pressures, deformations,
strains,…
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41. Soil Testing
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Copyright © 2001
Vane Shear Test
Standard Penetration Test
More Field Tests

42. Soil Testing
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Copyright © 2001
Triaxial Test on Soil Sample in Laboratory
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43. Soil Testing
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Variety of Field Testing Devices
Copyright © 2001
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44. Soil Testing
Purdue University, USA
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Copyright © 2001
Being Pushed around by my Supervisors44

45. Typical Safety Factors
Type of Design
Earthworks
1.3-1.5
1/500
Retaining
structures
1.5-2.0
1/1500
Foundations 2.0-3.0
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Safety
Factor
1/5000
Copyright © 2001
Probability of
Failure
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46. Some Civil Engineering marvels ….
foundations
soil
exploration
tunneling
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Copyright © 2001
… buried right under your 46
feet.

48. Soil Testing
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Cone Penetration Test Truck – Lavarach Barracks, Townsville
Copyright © 2001

49. Dynamic Compaction
JCU site visit to Townsville Port in 2003
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Copyright © 2001
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50. Sheet pile at Woolcock St
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Copyright © 2001
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51. Soil Nailing at Strand
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Copyright © 2001
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52. JCU Dynamic cone penetration rig
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Copyright © 2001
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53. JCU Dynamic cone penetration rig
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Copyright © 2001
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54. Pile driving rig – Ross River Dam
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Copyright © 2001
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55. Pile driving rig – Ross River Dam
A pile group
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Copyright © 2001
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56. Sea wall in Brisbane (2005)
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Copyright © 2001
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Courtesy: Coffey Geosciences Pty Ltd.

57. Great Contributors to the Developments
in Geotechnical Engineering

58. Karl Terzaghi
1883-1963
L. Bjerrum
1918-1973
C.A.Coulomb
1736-1806
A.W.Skempton
1914-
WJM Rankine
1820-1872
Siva’s teacher in USA –
Siva’s teacher in USA –
deserves gold frame
deserves gold frame
G.F.Sowers
1921-1996
A.Casagrande
1902-1981
G.A. Leonards
1921-1997

59. Purdue University (USA), 1986
Mini-Me
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Copyright © 2001
Geotechnical Group: Postgrads & staff
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60. Geotechnical Engineering Landmarks

61. Leaning Tower of Pisa
Our blunders become monuments!
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Copyright © 2001
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62. Hoover Dam, USA
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Copyright © 2001
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Tallest (221 m) concrete dam

63. Petronas Tower, Malaysia
Tallest building in the
world
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Copyright © 2001
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64. Monuments
and….
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Copyright © 2001
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66. Geo-engineering at JCU
CS2005
Introduction to Geotechnical Engineering
CS3002
Soils & Foundations
CS4001
Foundations & Rocks
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Copyright © 2001
Postgrad
MEngSc/PhD
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67. Practicals
~ five practical sessions
~ closed footwear must be worn in the
lab
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Copyright © 2001
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68. Safety
Rio de Janeiro
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We have pride in our high safety standards
68
Copyright © 2001

69. Quizzes
How?


Why?



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Copyright © 2001
about 4-6, 50 minutes each
open book
reinforce main points
provide a wake up call
form of assessment
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70. Past CS2005 Grades
1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002
HD
5
1
1
3
3
0
D
4
2
3
2
9
6
C
15
12
6
7
7
2
P
12
8
8
6
10
8
P-
6
0
2
4
1
5
N
12
10
12
14
9
13
X
0
0
3
3
3
1
33
35
39
42
35
Total 54
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Copyright © 2001
?
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71. Some Suggestions
Attend the lectures.
It takes longer to understand
from the lecture notes
Develop a good feel for the subject.
It is practical, interesting and
makes lot of sense.
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Copyright © 2001
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72. Some Suggestions
Work in groups.
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73. Some Suggestions
Thou shall not wait till the last minute.
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74. Exams
My mama always said, “Exam is like a box
of chocolates; you never know what you
gonna get”
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75. Recipe for Success
I like soils… I like soils….I like soils….
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