Subject Group of Solid Waste, Resources and Geoenvironmental Engineering
25208 Geoengineering
Winter
Description and rationale: The objective of this course is to provide students with basic knowledge of soil
and rock mechanics. In the first part, the role of field and laboratory soil testing in characterizing the
engineering properties of soils is reviewed, and constitutive equation of clayey soils and numerical analysis in
geomechanics are outlined with some examples of practical engineering. In the second part, classification of
rock, characteristics of rock as a material will be explained. After such physical properties of rock as specific
gravity, porosity etc. are described, deformation and failure of rock under various stress states will be focused.
Keywords: soil mechanics, rock mechanics, stress, strain, strength, laboratory experiments
Pre-requisite: none
Expected students: master and doctoral
Instructors:
Prof Toshiyuki MITACHI (mitachi@emg.hokudai.ac.jp)
Dr Jun-ichi KODAMA (kodama@rock.eng.hokudai.ac.jp)
Course outline:
(1) Introduction
(2) Soil Engineering
1) Present situation of geotechnical engineering practice in which 'stability' and 'deformation' are
considere separately, and the necessity of introduction of stress-strain-strength characteristics of soils
into design procedure of practical engineering problems.
2) Typical behavior of saturated remolded clay under drained and undrained triaxial test condition and the
critical state concept.
3) Outline of the basic concepts of the Cambridge 'triaxial' compression theory for describing stress strain
behavior of saturated clay.
4) Stress-strain equations for ideal 'wet' clay in terms of the plastic-strain increment ratio.
5) Determination of soil parameters required for the Cam-clay stress-strain equations.
6) Numerical analysis incorporated with Cam-clay stress-strain equations are outlined with some typical
examples of practical engineering.
(3) Rock Engineering
1) What is rock mechanics? Object of rock mechanics and its application for disaster prevention,
underground utilization, resources and energy development.
2) Origin and classification of rocks and characteristics of rock as a material.
3) Physical properties of rock including density, porosity, permeability, elastic wave velocity and expansion
coefficient.
4) Tensile failure of rock.
5) Deformation and failure of rock under uniaxial compressive stress.
6) Deformation and failure of rock under triaxial compressive stress.
Grading: attendance (10%), reports (10%), and final exam (80%)
Text books and references: There is no one text that adequately responds to the goals and topics of this
lecture. Some readings and handouts will be prepared for you. Please contact the instructor if you need further
advice.
3/2007