Course syllabus for Contemporary topics in geomechanics

Course syllabus adopted 2024-02-12 by Head of Programme (or corresponding).

Overview

  • Swedish nameAktuella ämnen inom geomekanik
  • CodeACE230
  • Credits7.5 Credits
  • OwnerMPIEE
  • Education cycleSecond-cycle
  • Main field of studyCivil and Environmental Engineering
  • DepartmentARCHITECTURE AND CIVIL ENGINEERING
  • GradingTH - Pass with distinction (5), Pass with credit (4), Pass (3), Fail

Course round 1

  • Teaching language English
  • Application code 27116
  • Maximum participants100 (at least 10% of the seats are reserved for exchange students)
  • Minimum participants5
  • Block schedule
  • Open for exchange studentsYes

Credit distribution

0122 Project 7.5 c
Grading: TH		7.5 c0 c0 c0 c0 c0 c

In programmes

Examiner

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Eligibility

General entry requirements for master's level (second cycle)
Applicants enrolled in a programme at Chalmers where the course is included in the study programme are exempted from fulfilling the requirements above.

Specific entry requirements

English 6 (or by other approved means with the equivalent proficiency level)
Applicants enrolled in a programme at Chalmers where the course is included in the study programme are exempted from fulfilling the requirements above.

Course specific prerequisites

Recommended courses: BOM200 Engineering Geology and BOM356 Geotechnics, or equivalent knowledge in basics on geology, soil mechanics and groundwater flow.

Aim

The aim of the course is to equip the student with advanced knowledge in geomechanics to deal with the future societal challenges related to climate change and net zero carbon, especially in the context of urbanisation, renewable energy and the new generation of railways (high speed rail). Geomechanics for climate resilience expands the students’ geotechnical knowledge to mechanics for partially saturated soils, covering issues with wetting collapse of fill materials and slope stability when losing suction (negative pore pressures) due to heavy rainfalls, as well as conventional and nature-based slope mitigation solutions. Increasing construction underground as part of urbanisation requires expertise in tunnelling methods (in soils and rocks) as well as their environmental effects. The need for constructing on poor ground conditions benefits from experience on ground improvement (GI) techniques as alternatives for piles, resulting in reduced embodied CO2eq and contributing toward net zero. Finally, given the plans for high speed rail and issues with foundations for renewable energy, basic concepts on soil dynamics will be introduced.

Learning outcomes (after completion of the course the student should be able to)

  1. Understand the principle of effective stresses in a partially saturated state (single Bishop’s effective stress measure versus two independent stress measures).
  2. Recognise the effect of partial saturation on the shear strength and stiffness of soil.
  3. Use conventional methods to estimate the slope stability with partial saturation effect.
  4. Apply conventional method(s) to estimate 1D soil collapse/swelling due to variation in suction.
  5. Describe the principles of various tunnelling methods in soils and rocks, and understand the main challenges and environmental effects.
  6. Understand the principles and execution of various ground improvement techniques, in order to be able to select the most appropriate methods for a given problem from a technical and sustainability point of view.
  7. Apply the best practice in designing ground improvement.
  8. Understand the additional geotechnical challenges in the construction of new railways (high speed rail) and foundations for renewable energy, related to  soil dynamics.

Content

  1. Brief introduction to effective stress based soil mechanics
  2. Geomechanics for climate resilience (mechanics for partially saturated soils, covering issues with wetting collapse of fill materials and slope stability when we lose suction due to heavy rainfalls as well as nature based slope mitigation solutions)
  3. Tunnelling methods (in soils and rocks, the main challenges as well as environmental effects)
  4. Ground improvement techniques (motivated by the desire to replace piles with less CO2-heavy techniques, such as vertical drains, stone columns, deep mixing, grouting), and reinforced earth.
  5. Soil dynamics (an introduction, given the plans for high speed rail and issues with foundations for renewable energy)

Organisation

The course will be taught by lectures, tutorials (including computer tutorials) and consultation for design projects. The coursework assignments will be done in groups, with some parts assessed individually.

Literature

  • Fredlund, D.G., Rahardjo, H. and Fredlund, M.D., 2012. Unsaturated soil mechanics in engineering practice. John Wiley & Sons. (available as e-book)
  • Ground improvement, Klaus Kirsch, Klaus & Alan Bell (Editors), 2013.  Third Edition, CRC Press, Taylor & Francis Group, London. (available as e-book)
  • Soil Improvement and Ground Modification Methods, 2014, Peter G. Nicholson, Butterworth-Heinemann. (available as e-book)
  • Requirements and recommendations from Trafikverket (TK-GEO & TR-GEO)

Examination including compulsory elements

The grading is based on two design projects (on ground improvement & slope stability, respectively) graded Fail, 3, 4, 5. The projects are done in groups with some parts graded as individual. In addition, the students need to hand-in an assignment related to soil dynamics at a satisfactory level (Fail/Pass).

The course examiner may assess individual students in other ways than what is stated above if there are special reasons for doing so, for example if a student has a decision from Chalmers on educational support due to disability.