Site characterization is a fundamental step towards the proper design, construction and long term performance of all types of geotechnical projects, ranging from foundation, excavation, earth dams, embankments, seismic hazards, environmental issues, tunnels, near and offshore structures. Geotechnical and Geophysical Site Characterization 4 provides practical applications of novel and innovative technologies in geotechnical and geophysical engineering, and is of interest to academics, engineers and professionals involved in Geotechnical Engineering.
Richly illustrated and supplemented by numerous graphs and tables, the book is based on eleven revised and edited state-of-the-art reports originally delivered at an International Symposium on Soft Clay held in Bangkok.
This book, written for the benefit of engineering students and practicing engineers alike, is the culmination of the author's four decades of experience related to the subject of electrical measurements, comprising nearly 30 years of experimental research and more than 15 years of teaching at several engineering institutions. The unique feature of this book, apart from covering the syllabi of various universities, is the style of presentation of all important aspects and features of electrical measurements, with neatly and clearly drawn figures, diagrams and colour and b/w photos that illustrate details of instruments among other things, making the text easy to follow and comprehend. Enhancing the chapters are interspersed explanatory comments and, where necessary, footnotes to help better understanding of the chapter contents. Also, each chapter begins with a "recall" to link the subject matter with the related science or phenomenon and fundamental background. The first few chapters of the book comprise "Units, Dimensions and Standards"; "Electricity, Magnetism and Electromagnetism" and "Network Analysis". These topics form the basics of electrical measurements and provide a better understanding of the main topics discussed in later chapters. The last two chapters represent valuable assets of the book, and relate to (a) "Magnetic Measurements", describing many unique features not easily available elsewhere, a good study of which is essential for the design and development of most electric equipment – from motors to transformers and alternators, and (b) "Measurement of Non-electrical Quantities", dealing extensively with the measuring techniques of a number of variables that constitute an important requirement of engineering measurement practices. The book is supplemented by ten appendices covering various aspects dealing with the art and science of electrical measurement and of relevance to some of the topics in main chapters. Other useful features of the book include an elaborate chapter-by-chapter list of symbols, worked examples, exercises and quiz questions at the end of each chapter, and extensive authors' and subject index. This book will be of interest to all students taking courses in electrical measurements as a part of a B.Tech. in electrical engineering. Professionals in the field of electrical engineering will also find the book of use.
The chapters in this book show that a careful blend of engineering judgement and advanced principles of engineering mechanics may be used to resolve many complex geotechnical engineering problems. It is hoped that these may inspire the geotechnical engineering practice to make more extensive use of them in future.
Peat and organic soils commonly occur as extremely soft, wet, unconsolidated surficial deposits that are an integral part of wetland systems. These types of soils can give rise to geotechnical problems in the area of sampling, settlement, stability, in situ testing, stabilisation and construction. There is therefore a tendency to either avoid building on these soils, or, when this is not possible, to simply remove or replace soils, which in some instances can lead to possibly uneconomical design and construction alternatives. However, in many countries of the world, these soils cover a substantial land area and pressure on land use is resulting in ever more frequent utilisation of such marginal grounds. For the successful design, construction and performance of structures on such marginal soils, it is crucial to predict geotechnical behaviour in terms of settlement, shear strength and stability, with respect to time. This means expanding our knowledge base and calls for a reliable characterisation of their geotechnical properties and mechanical behaviour and subsequently, the devising of suitable design parameters and construction techniques for dealing with these materials. A sound scientific understanding of the nature and functions of peat and organic soils is critical to their correct and safe use, and this book contributes by offering students, researchers, engineers and academics involved with these types of soils a comprehensive overview. This book will be useful not only to those in the field of geotechnical engineering, but also to soil scientists and agriculturalists, who are involved in the development of peatlands.
A selection of papers by Professor AW Skempton, aiming to show his breadth of achievement in the field of soilmechanics. The chosen papers are reproduced chronologically, most of them falling into three subject groups: soil properties, stability of slopes, and foundations. This collection is useful to engineers, research workers, and students.
This manual presents procedures for performing advanced laboratory tests on fine-grained soils. It covers characterization tests, which determine soil composition and quantify the individual components of a soil, and behavioral tests, such as the Atterberg Limits tests that demonstrate how the fines fraction of a soil reacts when mixed with water and the Linear Shrinkage Test that demonstrates how much a soil shrinks. The material goes beyond traditional evaluation of basic soil behavior by presenting more advanced laboratory tests to characterize soil in more detail. These tests provide detailed compositional characteristics which identify subtle changes in conditions and vertical variations in the soil, and which help to explain unusual behavior. A unique compilation of information on key soil tests Combines characterization tests with behavior tests The book suits graduate students in geotechnical engineering, as well as practitioners and researchers.
Landslides in sensitive clays represent a major hazard in the northern countries of the world such as Canada, Finland, Norway, Russia, Sweden and in the US state of Alaska. Past and recent examples of catastrophic landslides at e.g. Saint-Jean-Vianney in 1971, Rissa in 1979, Finneidfjord in 1996 and Kattmarka in 2009 have illustrated the great mobility of the remolded sensitive clays and their hazardous retrogressive potential. These events call for a better understanding of landslide in sensitive clay terrain to assist authorities with state-of-the-art hazard assessment methods, risk management schemes, mitigation measures and planning. During the last decades the elevated awareness regarding slope movement in sensitive clays has led to major advances in mapping techniques and development of highly sophisticated geotechnical and geophysical investigation tools. Great advances in numerical techniques dealing with progressive failure and landslide kinematic have also lead to increase understanding and predictability of landslides in sensitive clays and their consequences. This volume consists of the latest scientific research by international experts dealing with geological, geotechnical and geophysical aspects of slope failure in sensitive clays and focuses on understanding the full spectrum of challenges presented by landslides in such brittle materials.
