Lecture

Mechanical Tests in Soil Mechanics

Graph Chat

Chat with Graph Search

Ask any question about EPFL courses, lectures, exercises, research, news, etc. or try the example questions below.

DISCLAIMER: The Graph Chatbot is not programmed to provide explicit or categorical answers to your questions. Rather, it transforms your questions into API requests that are distributed across the various IT services officially administered by EPFL. Its purpose is solely to collect and recommend relevant references to content that you can explore to help you answer your questions.

In course

CIVIL-203: Soil mechanics and flow through porous media

The course introduces students to the fundamentals of the mechanics of soils and fluid-infiltrated porous media. The first part is devoted to the constitutive behavior of soils in dry conditions, while the second part accounts for the presence of pore wate ...

Description

This lecture covers the organization and types of mechanical tests in soil mechanics, including laboratory and in situ tests. It discusses the importance of careful planning, the selection of tests based on specific project needs, and the significance of standardized procedures and quality accreditation. Various laboratory tests such as uniaxial compression, direct shear, and triaxial tests are explained, highlighting their parameters, applications, and limitations. In situ tests like plate loading, cone penetration tests, and pressuremeter tests are also detailed, emphasizing their role in determining soil properties and behavior. The lecture concludes by stressing the critical aspects of test organization, selection, and execution in soil mechanics.

Instructor

Laurent Vulliet

EDUCATION 2016 Board Member Certificate, Swiss Board School, Switzerland 2008 AMP (Advanced Management Program), INSEAD, Fontainebleau, France 1986 PhD (Dr sc. tech.), EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland 1980 Ms, Civil Engineering (Dipl. Bauing. ETH), ETHZ, Zurich, Switzerland PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES 1994 - Present Professor, EPFL. Director of the Soil Mechanics Laboratory (1994-2008). Promoted from Associate to Full Professor in 1996. Part-time position since 2008 2008 - 2015 CEO, BG Consulting Engineers, Lausanne, Switzerland. 2001 - 2008 Dean, School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering (ENAC), Ecole polytechnique fédérale, Lausanne (EPFL) 1999 - 2001 Head, Civil Engineering Department, EPFL 1989 - 1993 Senior Engineer, De Cérenville Géotechnique SA, Ecublens, Switzerland 1987 - 1989 Lecturer, Department of Civil Engineering and Engineering Mechanics, University of Arizona, Tucson, USA 1986 Invited Researcher, Laboratoire central des ponts et chaussées (LCPC), Paris, France 1981 - 1986 Research assistant, and PhD student, Soil Mechanics Laboratory (LMS), EPFL. Thesis on the modeling of natural creeping slopes. Co-advisors Prof. E. Recordon (EPFL) and Prof. K. Hutter (TU Darmstadt) BOARDS / COUNCILS

Member of the Board of Directors, Implenia, Dietlikon, Switzerland (2016 - present)
Member of the Board of Directors, BG Consulting Engineers, Lausanne (2006 - 2015)
Vice-President, Swiss Society of Engineers and Architects (SIA). 2009-2013.
Member, Foundation Council, Foundation Les Bois Chamblard, financing research in Environmental Sciences at EPFL (focusing on bio-diversity). 2003-present
Member, Foundation Council of the Presses Polytechniques et Universitaires Romandes (PPUR), Lausanne. 1995-present
Member, Stiftungsrat der Präventionsstiftung der KGV (a Swiss foundation for the financing of applied research in the domain of natural risks from Cantonal Building Insurances). 2003-2008
Member of the Board of Directors, Stump Bohr AG, Nänikon. 1998 2001

PROFESSIONAL SOCIETIES

Swiss Society of Engineers and Architects (SIA)
American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
International Association for Computer Meth. and Advances in Geomechanics (IACMAG)
International Society for Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering (ISSMGE)
International Society for Rock Mechanics (ISRM)
Swiss Society for Soil and Rock Mechanics (SSMSR)
Swiss Society for Earthquake Engineering and Structural Dynamics (SGEB)

SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEES

Swiss National Science Foundation (NSF): member of the Foundation Council and of the Electoral Commission (1996-2003)
Extra-Parliamentary National Commission on Natural Disasters (PLANAT): member of the Commission 1997-2007 (member of the Executive Board from 1997 to 2000)
Natural Hazards Competence Centre CENAT (ETH Domain): founder member and member of the Board of Directors (1995-2007)
Alliance of European Research Laboratories (ALERT), member of the Board of Directors (1995-2009)
Beratende Kommission Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL): member (2000-2004)
Centro Stefano Franscini (CSF, Monte Verità): member of the Scientific Advisory Committee (1997-2007)
EPFL Press and Information Commission (CPI). Member 1994-94, President 1995-2000

EDITORIAL BOARDS

Adjunct Editor-in-Chief, Revue française de génie civil (Hermès); founder member (1996-Present). Cette revue est devenue "European Journal of Environmental and Civil Engineering"
Editorial Advisory Board, Int. J. Num. Analyt. Meth. in Geomech., John Wiley (1997-2009).
Editorial Board, Int. J. of Geomechanics (2000-2009).
Editorial Board, Computer & Geotechnics, Elsevier (2001-2009).
Editorial Board, Rivista Italiana di Geotecnica (1997-2009).

Official source

Related concepts (32)

Cone penetration test

The cone penetration or cone penetrometer test (CPT) is a method used to determine the geotechnical engineering properties of soils and delineating soil stratigraphy. It was initially developed in the 1950s at the Dutch Laboratory for Soil Mechanics in Delft to investigate soft soils. Based on this history it has also been called the "Dutch cone test". Today, the CPT is one of the most used and accepted soil methods for soil investigation worldwide.

Standard penetration test

The standard penetration test (SPT) is an in-situ dynamic penetration test designed to provide information on the geotechnical engineering properties of soil. This test is the most frequently used subsurface exploration drilling test performed worldwide. The test procedure is described in ISO 22476-3, ASTM D1586 and Australian Standards AS 1289.6.3.1. The test provides samples for identification purposes and provides a measure of penetration resistance which can be used for geotechnical design purposes.

Soil physics

Soil physics is the study of soil's physical properties and processes. It is applied to management and prediction under natural and managed ecosystems. Soil physics deals with the dynamics of physical soil components and their phases as solids, liquids, and gases. It draws on the principles of physics, physical chemistry, engineering, and meteorology. Soil physics applies these principles to address practical problems of agriculture, ecology, and engineering.

Geotechnical investigation

Geotechnical investigations are performed by geotechnical engineers or engineering geologists to obtain information on the physical properties of soil earthworks and foundations for proposed structures and for repair of distress to earthworks and structures caused by subsurface conditions; this type of investigation is called a site investigation. Geotechnical investigations are also used to measure the thermal resistance of soils or backfill materials required for underground transmission lines, oil and gas pipelines, radioactive waste disposal, and solar thermal storage facilities.

Soil mechanics

Soil mechanics is a branch of soil physics and applied mechanics that describes the behavior of soils. It differs from fluid mechanics and solid mechanics in the sense that soils consist of a heterogeneous mixture of fluids (usually air and water) and particles (usually clay, silt, sand, and gravel) but soil may also contain organic solids and other matter. Along with rock mechanics, soil mechanics provides the theoretical basis for analysis in geotechnical engineering, a subdiscipline of civil engineering, and engineering geology, a subdiscipline of geology.

Related lectures (64)

Thermo-Calc: Exercise and Property Models

Explores Thermo-Calc software for defining functions and property models in materials science.

Soil Mechanics: Characteristics and Classification

Explores soil characteristics, water content, density, plasticity, and classification methods in geotechnical engineering.

Rigorous Bounds: Isotropic Phases

Explores rigorous upper and lower bounds for isotropic phase composites and their microstructure arrangement, focusing on laminated plates and stress-strain relationships.

Soil Shear Resistance and Failure Criteria

Explains the Von Mises, Drucker-Prager, Mohr-Coulomb, and Cam-Clay failure criteria in soil mechanics.

Soil Hydraulic Conductivity and Water Transfers