Contents:
Introduction to modelling. Models as appropriate simplifications of reality. Examples of models used in engineering. Characteristics of soil behaviour. Volumetric response. Stress level dependency. Stress history dependency. Implications for modelling. Physical modelling. Scaling laws. Compromises to address soil behavoiur. Possibilities of single gravity modelling. Interpretation of single gravity laboratory models. Interpretation of full scale modelling. Examples of single gravity models. Centrifuge modelling. Scaling laws revisited. Types of centrifuges. Design of centrifuge models. Interpretation of centrifuge models. Examples of centrifuge models. Theoretical modelling. Simple models which do not require extensive numerical programs. Elastic analysis. Embedded wall - mobilisation model. Numerical modelling. Basics of numerical analysis. Finite elements. Finite difference. Assumptions and specifications. Soil constitutive modelling. Elastic models. Elastic-perfectly plastic models. Elastic-hardening plastic models. Elastic-kinematic hardening plastic models. Modelling non-monotonic loading. Soil stiffness. Selection of soil properties. Soil structure interaction. Serviceability calculations. Effect of choice of soil model on pattern of deformations. Flexible footing. Flexible retaining wall. Tunnel lining. Pile under lateral loading. Examples of numerical modelling. Examples where traditional design approaches have difficulty. Stage construction of embankments. Earthquake loading. Conclusion. What to expect from geotechnical modelling. What not to expect from geotechnical modelling. Future developments. Elastic-kinematic hardening plastic models. Modelling non-monotonic loading. Soil stiffness. Selection of soil properties. Soil Structure interaction. Serviceability calculations. Effect of choice of soil model on pattern of deformations. Flexible footing. Flexible retaining wall. Tunnel lining. Pile under lateral loading. Examples of numerical modelling. Examples where traditional design approaches have difficulty. Stage construction of embankments. Earthquake loading. Conclusion. What to expect from geotechnical modelling. What not to expect from geotechnical modelling. Future developments.

Modelling forms an implicit part of all engineering design but many engineers engage in modelling without consciously considering the nature, validity and consequences of the supporting assumptions. Derived from courses given to postgraduate and final year undergraduate MEng students, this book presents some of the models that form a part of the typical undergraduate geotechnical curriculum and describes some of the aspects of soil behaviour which contribute to the challenge of geotechnical modelling. Assuming a familiarity with basic soil mechanics and traditional methods of geotechnical design, this book is a valuable tool for students of geotechnical and structural and civil engineering as well as also being useful to practising engineers involved in the specification of numerical or physical geotechnical modelling.

T. Wichtmann, T. Triantafyllidis: Behaviour of granular soils under environmentally induced cyclic loads. - D. Muir Wood: Constitutive modelling. - C. di Prisco: Creep versus transient loading effects in geotechnical problems. - M. Pastor et al.: Mathematical models for transient, dynamic and cyclic problems in geotechnical engineering. - M. Pastor: Discretization techniques for transient, dynamics and cyclic problems in geotechnical engineering: first order hyperbolic partial diffential equations. - M. Pastor et l.: Discretization techniques for transient, dynamic and cyclic problems in geotechnical engineering: second order equation. - C. di Prisco: Cyclic mechanical response of rigid bodies interacting with sand strata. - D. Muir Wood: Macroelement modelling. - M. F. Randolph: Offshore design approaches and model tests for sub-failure cyclic loading of foundations. - M.F. Randolph: Cyclic interface shearing in sand and cemented solis and application to axial response of piles. - M. F. Randolph: Evaluation of the remoulded shear strength of offshore clays and application to pipline-soil and riser-soil interaction.

The book gives a comprehensive description of the mechanical response of soils (granular and cohesive materials) under cyclic loading. It provides the geotechnical engineer with the theoretical and analytical tools necessary for the evaluation of settlements developng with time under cyclic, einvironmentally idncued loads (such as wave motion, wind actions, water table level variation) and their consequences for the serviceability and durability of structures such as the shallow or deep foundations used in offshore engineering, caisson beakwaters, ballast and airport pavements and also to interpret monitoring data, obtained from both natural and artificial slopes and earth embankments, for the purposes of risk assessment and mitigation.

T. Wichtmann, T. Triantafyllidis: Behaviour of granular soils under environmentally induced cyclic loads. - D. Muir Wood: Constitutive modelling. - C. di Prisco: Creep versus transient loading effects in geotechnical problems. - M. Pastor et al.: Mathematical models for transient, dynamic and cyclic problems in geotechnical engineering. - M. Pastor: Discretization techniques for transient, dynamics and cyclic problems in geotechnical engineering: first order hyperbolic partial diffential equations. - M. Pastor et l.: Discretization techniques for transient, dynamic and cyclic problems in geotechnical engineering: second order equation. - C. di Prisco: Cyclic mechanical response of rigid bodies interacting with sand strata. - D. Muir Wood: Macroelement modelling. - M. F. Randolph: Offshore design approaches and model tests for sub-failure cyclic loading of foundations. - M.F. Randolph: Cyclic interface shearing in sand and cemented solis and application to axial response of piles. - M. F. Randolph: Evaluation of the remoulded shear strength of offshore clays and application to pipline-soil and riser-soil interaction.

The book gives a comprehensive description of the mechanical response of soils (granular and cohesive materials) under cyclic loading. It provides the geotechnical engineer with the theoretical and analytical tools necessary for the evaluation of settlements developng with time under cyclic, einvironmentally idncued loads (such as wave motion, wind actions, water table level variation) and their consequences for the serviceability and durability of structures such as the shallow or deep foundations used in offshore engineering, caisson beakwaters, ballast and airport pavements and also to interpret monitoring data, obtained from both natural and artificial slopes and earth embankments, for the purposes of risk assessment and mitigation.

Civil engineering has made an inestimable contribution to modern life, providing the crucial expertise behind our vast transportation systems and the wide array of built structures where we work, study, and play. In this Very Short Introduction, engineer David Muir Wood turns a spotlight on a field that we often take for granted. He sheds light on the nature and importance of civil engineering in the history of civilization and urbanization, outlines its many accomplishments in the modern era, and points to the hurdles that civil engineering will face in the future. Beginning with the task of creating a settlement on a deserted island, Muir Wood sets out the problems that civil engineers face every day, highlighting the social and environmental challenges as well as the grasp of science and technology needed to craft buildings, bridges, tunnels, houses, and areas of recreation. The author also profiles the lives of some of the major civil engineers, such as Isambard Kingdom Brunel, the acclaimed builder of steamships, railways, and tunnels, and Sir Joseph Bazalgette, whose sewer system in central London was instrumental in relieving the city from cholera epidemics. Finally, Muir Wood considers the growing difficulty of managing our water and energy supplies, and he looks at the engineering profession's increased sensitivity to building and the environment.

This book teaches the principles of soil mechanics to undergraduates, along with other properties of engineering materials, to which the students are exposed simultaneously. Using the critical state method of soil mechanics to study the mechanical behavior of soils requires the student to consider density alongside effective stresses, permitting the unification of deformation and strength characteristics. This unification aids the understanding of soil mechanics. This book explores a one-dimensional theme for the presentation of many of the key concepts of soil mechanics - density, stress, stiffness, strength, and fluid flow - and includes a chapter on the analysis of one-dimensional consolidation, which fits nicely with the theme of the book. It also presents some theoretical analyses of soil-structure interaction, which can be analyzed using essentially one-dimensional governing equations. Examples are given at the end of most chapters, and suggestions for laboratory exercises or demonstrations are given.

This book teaches the principles of soil mechanics to undergraduates, along with other properties of engineering materials, to which the students are exposed simultaneously. Using the critical state method of soil mechanics to study the mechanical behavior of soils requires the student to consider density alongside effective stresses, permitting the unification of deformation and strength characteristics. This unification aids the understanding of soil mechanics. This book explores a one-dimensional theme for the presentation of many of the key concepts of soil mechanics - density, stress, stiffness, strength, and fluid flow - and includes a chapter on the analysis of one-dimensional consolidation, which fits nicely with the theme of the book. It also presents some theoretical analyses of soil-structure interaction, which can be analyzed using essentially one-dimensional governing equations. Examples are given at the end of most chapters, and suggestions for laboratory exercises or demonstrations are given.

Soils can rarely be described as ideally elastic or perfectly plastic and yet simple elastic and plastic models form the basis for the most traditional geotechnical engineering calculations. With the advent of cheap powerful computers the possibility of performing analyses based on more realistic models has become widely available. One of the aims of this book is to describe the basic ingredients of a family of simple elastic-plastic models of soil behavior and to demonstrate how such models can be used in numerical analyses. Such numerical analyses are often regarded as mysterious black boxes but a proper appreciation of their worth requires an understanding of the numerical models on which they are based. Though the models on which this book concentrates are simple, understanding of these will indicate the ways in which more sophisticated models will perform.