Origin and classification of soils -- Introduction: what is soil mechanics? -- Structure of the earth -- Origin of soils -- Soil mineralogy -- Phase relationships for soils -- Unit weight -- Effective stress -- Particle size distributions -- Soil filters -- Soil description -- Index tests and classification of clay soils -- Compaction -- Houses built on clay -- Key points -- Self-assessment and Learning Questions -- Origins and mineralogy of soils -- Phase relationships, unit weight and calculation of effective stresses -- Particle size analysis and soil filters -- Index tests and classification -- Compaction -- Notes -- References -- Soil strength -- Introduction -- Stress analysis -- Soil strength -- Friction -- Shearbox or direct shear apparatus -- Presentation of shearbox test data in engineering units -- Volume changes during shear -- Critical states -- Peak strengths and dilation -- Shearbox tests on clays -- Applications -- Stress states in the shearbox test -- Simple shear apparatus -- Key points -- Self-assessment and learning questions -- Shearbox test -- Development of a critical state model -- Determination of peak strengths -- Use of strength data to calculate friction pile load capacity -- Stress analysis and interpretation of shearbox test data -- References -- Groundwater flow and control -- Introduction -- Pore water pressures in the ground -- Darcys law and soil permeability -- Laboratory measurement of permeability -- Field measurement of permeability -- Permeability of laminated soils -- Mathematics of groundwater flow -- Plane flow -- Confined flownets -- Calculation of pore water pressures using flownets -- Quicksand -- Unconfined flownets -- Distance of influence -- Soils with anisotropic permeability -- Zones of different permeability -- Boundary conditions for flow into drains -- Application of well pumping formulae to construction dewatering -- Numerical methods -- Groundwater control -- Unsaturated soils -- Key points -- Self-assessment and learning questions -- Laboratory measurement of permeability; fluidisation; layered soils -- Well pumping test for field measurement of permeability -- Confined flownets and quicksand -- Unconfined flownet -- Flownets in anisotropic soils -- Notes -- References -- One-dimensional compression and consolidation -- Introduction and objectives -- One-dimensional compression: the oedometer test -- One-dimensional consolidation -- Properties of isochrones -- One-dimensional consolidation: solution using parabolic isochrones -- Determining the consolidation coefficient cv from oedometer test data -- Application of consolidation testing and theory to field problems -- One-dimensional consolidation: exact solutions -- Radial drainage -- Limitations of the simple models for the behaviour of soils in one-dimensional compression and consolidation -- Key points -- Self-assessment and learning questions -- Analysis and interpretation of one-dimensional compression test data -- Analysis of data from the consolidation phase -- Application of one-dimensional compression and consolidation theory to field problems -- Notes -- References -- Triaxial test and soil behaviour -- Introduction -- Triaxial test -- Stress parameters -- Stress analysis of the triaxial test -- Determining the effective angle of shearing resistance from triaxial shear tests -- Undrained shear strengths of clay soils -- Isotropic compression and swelling -- Specimen preparation by one-dimensional compression and swelling: K consolidation -- Conditions imposed in shear tests -- Critical states -- Yield -- State paths during shear: normally consolidated and lightly overconsolidated clays -- Peak strengths -- Residual strength -- Sensitive soils -- Correlation of critical state parameters with index tests -- Creep -- Anisotropy -- Unsaturated soils -- Critical state model applied to sands -- Non-linear soil models -- Repeated or cyclic loading -- Key points -- Self-assessment and learning questions -- Interpretation of triaxial test results -- Determination of critical state and Cam clay parameters -- Analysis and prediction of state paths using Cam clay concepts -- Notes -- References -- Calculation of soil settlements using elasticity methods -- Introduction -- Selection of elastic parameters -- Boussinesqs solution -- Newmarks chart and estimation of vertical stress -- Settlements due to surface loads and foundations -- Influence factors for stress -- Standard solutions for surface settlements on an isotropic, homogeneous, elastic half-space -- Estimation of immediate settlements -- Effect of heterogeneity -- Cross-coupling of shear and volumetric effects due to anisotropy -- Key points -- Self-assessment and learning questions -- Determining elastic parameters from laboratory test data -- Calculation of increases in vertical effective stress below a surface surcharge -- Calculation of increases in vertical effective stress and resulting soil settlements -- Use of standard formulae in conjunction with one-dimensional consolidation theory -- References -- Plasticity and limit equilibrium methods for earth pressures and retaining walls -- Engineering plasticity -- Upper and lower bounds (safe and unsafe solutions) -- Failure criteria for soils -- Retaining walls -- Calculation of limiting lateral earth pressures -- Development of simple stress field solutions for a propped embedded cantilever retaining wall -- Soil/wall friction -- Mechanism-based kinematic and equilibrium solutions for gravity retaining walls -- Reinforced soil walls -- Compaction stresses behind backfilled walls -- Key points -- Self-assessment and learning questions -- Calculation of lateral earth pressures and prop loads -- Stress field limit equilibrium analysis of an embedded retaining wall -- Mechanism-based limit equilibrium analysis of retaining walls -- Reinforced soil retaining walls -- Compaction stresses -- References -- Foundations and slopes -- Introduction and objectives -- Shallow strip foundations (footings): simple lower bound (safe) solutions -- Simple upper bound (unsafe) solutions for shallow strip footings -- Bearing capacity enhancement factors to account for foundation shape and depth, and soil weight -- Shallow foundations subjected to horizontal and moment loads -- Simple piled foundations: ultimate axial loads of single piles -- . -crit or-peak -- Pile groups and piled rafts -- Lateral loads on piles -- Introductory slope stability: the infinite slope -- Analysis of a more general slope -- Laterally loaded piles for slope stabilisation -- Key points -- Self-assessment and learning questions -- Shallow foundations -- Deep foundations -- Laterally loaded piles -- Slopes -- References -- In-ground retaining structures: embedded walls and tunnels -- Introduction and objectives -- Earth pressure coefficients taking account of shear stresses at the soil/wall interface -- Limit equilibrium calculations for embedded retaining walls and ultimate limit state design -- Calculation of bending moments and prop loads: serviceability limit states -- Embedded walls retaining clay soils -- Geostructural mechanism to estimate wall movements -- Effect of relative soil: wall stiffness -- Strip loads -- Multi-propped embedded walls -- Tunnels -- Key points -- Self-assesment and learning questions -- Embedded retaining walls and ULS design -- Tunnels -- Note -- References -- Calculation of improved bearing capacity factors and earth pressure coefficients using plasticity methods -- Introduction and objectives -- Stress discontinuities and their use to calculate improved bearing capacity factors for a shallow foundation subjected to a vertical load: effective stress () analysis -- Stress discontinuities and their use to calculate improved bearing capacity factors for a shallow foundation subjected to a vertical load: total stress (u) analysis -- Application to stress analysis -- Shallow foundations subjected to inclined loads -- Calculation of earth pressure coefficients for rough retaining walls -- Sloping backfill -- Wall with a sloping (battered) back -- Improved upper bounds for shallow foundations -- Key points -- Self assesment and learning questions -- Bearing capacity of foundations -- Retaining walls and earth pressures -- References -- Site investigation, in situ testing and modelling -- Introduction and objectives -- Site investigation -- In situ testing -- Modelling -- Ground improvement -- Key points -- Self-assessment and learning questions -- In situ testing -- Modelling -- Ground improvement -- Notes -- References -- Index