Theoretical and Experimental Soil Mechanics (250MEG004) – Course 2025/26 PDF
Syllabus
Learning Objectives
- To conceive soils as porous media governed by Solid and Fluid Mechanics. - To characterize the geological environment and its interaction with civil works. - Characterize soils. - Interpret laboratory tests and field observations to identify the mechanisms responsible for the response of the land. Plan programs of experimentation in the laboratory. - Apply the theoretical concepts of flow and transport in porous media. - Apply the theoretical concepts of deformation and flow of soils. - Experimental observation of soil mechanical behaviour. Know: - Basic identification of soils. - Water in soils. - The soil as a continuum. Elasticity. - Flow-deformation coupling. - Behavior of compacted soils with regards to the mechanics of unsaturated soils. - Analysis of soil failure.
Total hours of student work
| Hours | Percentage | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Supervised Learning | Large group | 45h | 100.00 % | |
| Self Study | 80h | |||
Teaching Methodology
The course consists of 2.2 hours per week of classroom activity (large size group) and 0.8 hours of laboratory works. The 1.7 hours in the large size groups are devoted to theoretical lectures, in which the teacher presents the basic concepts and topics of the subject, shows examples and solves exercises. 0.5 hours are devoted to solving practical problems. The objective of these practical exercises is to consolidate and evaluate the general and specific learning objectives. The rest of weekly hours (0.8h) are devoted to laboratory practice. Support material in the form of a detailed teaching plan is provided using the virtual campus ATENEA: content, program of learning and assessment activities conducted and literature. Although most of the sessions will be given in the language indicated, sessions supported by other occasional guest experts may be held in other languages.
Grading Rules
The evaluation calendar and grading rules will be approved before the start of the course.
The mark of the course is obtained from the ratings of continuous assessment and their corresponding laboratories. Continuous assessment consist in several activities, both individually and in group, of additive and training characteristics, carried out during the year (both in and out of the classroom): Problems to solve and group work. The teachings of the laboratory grade is the average in such activities (laboratory reports). The evaluation tests consist of a part with questions about concepts associated with the learning objectives of the course with regard to knowledge or understanding, and a part with a set of application exercises. The final mark is set with the following weights: 0.45 [average of two partial tests] 0.20 [average rating of the delivered problems] 0.20 [average rating of individual practices] 0.15 [average rating of group work]
Test Rules
- Not all material included with the documentation of the course it will be explained in class. Classes will focus on aspects of more importance and difficulty. The rest will have to work on it at home, with the help of notes, additional documentation, and interaction with other students ("forum") or the teacher in after-hours. * Questions on exams may refer to all the teaching material provided, although not explained in class (not included here "further" teaching material and recommended readings). * In all the examination (both part of theory as the practical part) will not be allowed make queries to any type of document (books, notes, fixes, etc.), or conversations between students. Also will not be allowed to use mobile, tablets, PCs, etc. * In the examinations, for the realisation of the problems it will be allowed that each student has a form that must be contained on one side of a DIN A4 sheet. This form must be written by hand (not photocopies) and may not include texts different from mathematical formulas. Any breach of these rules will mean the expulsion of the examination and a global note of 0 in the global of test. * In case of absence in an examination (without justified cause proven by documents), the note of the examination will be zero. * If not attending any of the practices or is not delivered the corresponding report by the deadline,(without justified cause...), the note of the set of practices will be zero. * If a problem of those proposed for evaluation is not delivered by the deadline , the note for this problem will be zero.
Office Hours
The attention to students is made through the forum of questions and answers of Athena and through interviews arranged in advance.
Bibliography
Basic
- Lambe, T.W.; Whitman, R.V. Mecánica de suelos. 2a ed. México: Limusa : Noriega, 1995. ISBN 9681818946.
- Wood, D.M. Soil behaviour and critical state soil mechanics. Cambridge: University Press, Cambridge. ISBN 0-521-33782-8.