Determination of the physical, chemical and mechanical properties of ground materials is the key to successfully deliver such projects as slope stabilization, excavation and lateral support, foundation etc. A book containing both theory of geomaterial testing and up-to-date testing methods is much in demand for obtaining reliable and accurate test results. This book is intended primarily to serve this need and aims at the clear explanation, in adequate depth, of the fundamental principles, requirements and procedures of soil and rock tests. It is intended that the book will serve as a useful source of reference for professionals in the field of geotechnical and geological engineering. It can work as a one-stop knowledge warehouse to build a basic cognition of material tests on which the readers are working. It helps college students bridge the gap between class education and engineering practice, and helps academic researchers guarantee reliable and accurate test results. It is also useful for training new technicians and providing a refresher for veterans. Engineers contemplating the ICE, IOM3 and other certification exams will find this book an essential test preparation aid. It is assumed that the reader has no prior knowledge of the subject but has a good understanding of basic mechanics.

This book has the purpose of developing an understanding of the factors determining and influencing the shear behavior of soils, with emphasis on composite soils, as they are the most encountered materials in geological and geotechnical engineering in mountainous areas. This objective is reached by examining the soil compressibility, structure of shear zone and its evolution, and water content of shear zone and shear mode of soils together with analyses of the influences of intrinsic properties, e.g. Atterberg limits, particle size distribution, particle shape, and testing conditions, e.g. normal stress and shearing rate. An in-depth review is presented in an approximately chronological order and covers almost all the factors that are believed to influence the mechanical behavior of soils. The equipment and test techniques for shear strength of soils are detailed. The residual shear behavior of composite soil is investigated by means of a systematic laboratory testing program using a large ring shear apparatus and an intermediate direct shear box. The Fast Fourier Transform is employed for the first time to analyze the fluctuations of measured shearstress and discovers the close relationships with both intrinsic properties of soils and testing conditions. Although the book is aimed primarily at researchers in geological and geotechnical engineering, it contains material of interest to students of geology and soil science and also should be a useful reference for practicing engineers faced with composite soils.

Loess is a product of aeolian deposition during the Quaternary glaciation cycles and covers approximately 6% of the Earth's land. The Loess Plateau of China, which is home to a population of nearly three hundred million, has the thickest and most complete loess strata, where loess geohazards occur most frequently due to the weak geoenvironment and dense human activities. In recent years, the engineering geological characteristics of loess and geohazards in loess areas have gradually received increasing attention from academic researchers. This book reviews an informative collection of up-to-date literature in this field. It presents the unique features of loess and loess geohazards, and provides a strong foundation for future study via eight systematically structured chapters, e.g., origin and spatial distribution, loess landforms, microstructure, physical properties, permeability, shear strength, tensile strength, and loess geohazard. It can serve as a principal reference for researchers, practical engineers and technicians who are engaged in loess geology and surface processes, and is suitable especially for undergraduate and postgraduate students in the field of loess engineering geology.

Loess is a product of aeolian deposition during the Quaternary glaciation cycles and covers approximately 6% of the Earth's land. The Loess Plateau of China, which is home to a population of nearly three hundred million, has the thickest and most complete loess strata, where loess geohazards occur most frequently due to the weak geoenvironment and dense human activities. In recent years, the engineering geological characteristics of loess and geohazards in loess areas have gradually received increasing attention from academic researchers. This book reviews an informative collection of up-to-date literature in this field. It presents the unique features of loess and loess geohazards, and provides a strong foundation for future study via eight systematically structured chapters, e.g., origin and spatial distribution, loess landforms, microstructure, physical properties, permeability, shear strength, tensile strength, and loess geohazard. It can serve as a principal reference for researchers, practical engineers and technicians who are engaged in loess geology and surface processes, and is suitable especially for undergraduate and postgraduate students in the field of loess engineering geology.

This book has the purpose of developing an understanding of the factors determining and influencing the shear behavior of soils, with emphasis on composite soils, as they are the most encountered materials in geological and geotechnical engineering in mountainous areas. This objective is reached by examining the soil compressibility, structure of shear zone and its evolution, and water content of shear zone and shear mode of soils together with analyses of the influences of intrinsic properties, e.g. Atterberg limits, particle size distribution, particle shape, and testing conditions, e.g. normal stress and shearing rate. An in-depth review is presented in an approximately chronological order and covers almost all the factors that are believed to influence the mechanical behavior of soils. The equipment and test techniques for shear strength of soils are detailed. The residual shear behavior of composite soil is investigated by means of a systematic laboratory testing program using a large ring shear apparatus and an intermediate direct shear box. The Fast Fourier Transform is employed for the first time to analyze the fluctuations of measured shearstress and discovers the close relationships with both intrinsic properties of soils and testing conditions. Although the book is aimed primarily at researchers in geological and geotechnical engineering, it contains material of interest to students of geology and soil science and also should be a useful reference for practicing engineers faced with composite soils.

Determination of the physical, chemical and mechanical properties of ground materials is the key to successfully deliver such projects as slope stabilization, excavation and lateral support, foundation etc. A book containing both theory of geomaterial testing and up-to-date testing methods is much in demand for obtaining reliable and accurate test results. This book is intended primarily to serve this need and aims at the clear explanation, in adequate depth, of the fundamental principles, requirements and procedures of soil and rock tests. It is intended that the book will serve as a useful source of reference for professionals in the field of geotechnical and geological engineering. It can work as a one-stop knowledge warehouse to build a basic cognition of material tests on which the readers are working. It helps college students bridge the gap between class education and engineering practice, and helps academic researchers guarantee reliable and accurate test results. It is also useful for training new technicians and providing a refresher for veterans. Engineers contemplating the ICE, IOM3 and other certification exams will find this book an essential test preparation aid. It is assumed that the reader has no prior knowledge of the subject but has a good understanding of basic mechanics.