Undergraduate

Geology and civil engineering, geodynamics and structural geology, elements of mineralogy and petrography, geomorphology, principles of engineering behaviour of geological formations, geological hazards. Earthquakes, landslides and land subsidence, geological aspects of construction materials, principles of hydrogeology.

Introduction, applications of soil mechanics in civil engineering. The nature of soil, types of soil, density, water content, Atterberg limits, subsurface soil investigation. Stresses and strains in soil elements, description of the stress state at a point with the Mohr circle, total and effective stresses, the "effective stress principle", geostatic stresses and stress changes due to externally applied loads (under plane strain and axisymmetric conditions). Phenomenological and microscopic description of soil deformation mechanisms. The triple role of the fluid phase. Stress-strain relationships under different loading conditions: one-dimensional compression, cylindrical (tri-axial) compression, simple shear, torsion. Shear strength of a soil element, Mohr-Coulomb failure criterion. Undrained loading: excess pore pressure, stress-strain relations under various loading conditions, undrained shear strength of soils. 

Application of elastic continuum theory: stresses and strains in soil masses under external loading. Plane-strain and axis-symmetric loading. The St. Venant principle. Horizontal earth pressures under different loading conditions. Rankine and Coulomb methods. Gravity retaining walls. The role of elastic deformations. Retaining structures of the Athens metro stations. Limit equilibrium methods in soil mechanics. Slope stability under drained and undrained conditions. Ultimate load of foundation (bearing capacity). Ground water flow in one dimension. Evolution in time of excess pore water pressures and consolidation of a clay layer due to vertical external loading . Seismic Liquefaction.

Engineering geology in the field of geotechnical engineering. Engineering behaviour of rock and rock masses, rock mass description. Site investigation, presentation of data and geological information processing. Geology and engineering structures, rock excavations and slopes, foundation on rocks, dams, tunnels and underground construction. Selected subjects of ground-water hydrology. Engineering description and case histories from Greek geology.  Selected topics in environmental geology.

Factors affecting foundation design. Bearing capacity of shallow foundations. Principles of settlement design. Settlement of shallow foundations on cohesive and cohesionless soils. Allowable settlements of structures. In-situ tests for the design of shallow foundations. Contact pressures. Design of shallow foundations, spread footings, combined footings, beams on elastic foundations, raft foundations. Piled foundations, construction methods. Bearing capacity of piles into cohesive and cohesionless soils. Settlement of piles.  Design of piles with the help of in-situ tests. Group of piles. Piles under horizontal loads. Selection of foundation type.

The course covers laboratory methods commonly used to determine the soil parameters that govern its engineering behaviour. The major soil mechanics tests are carried out by the students themselves in the laboratory. Tests include: classification of soils based on their grain-size distribution and characteristics (e, w%, γ_s, γ_d, LL, PL). Measurement of hydraulic conductivity using constant head and falling head permeameters. Measurement of the parameters needed for consolidation settlement calculations (Ε_s, c_c, c_s, c_v) using the oedometer. Determining shear strength parameters of cohensionless soils using the direct shear strength apparatus. Drained and undrained triaxial tests and data interpretation.

Concepts and modelling methods. Surface foundation under static and seismic loading: soil-foundation-structure interaction. Transverse loading of piles and pile groups: analysis of deformations and ultimate capacity. Flexible ground retaining systems: analysis of stress and deformations using Winkler-type spring models or continuum mechanics models. Analysis of underground structures (tunnels, cut & covers, shafts) due to ground-induced loads. Note: Some of the above cases will be studied each year.

Soil origin, soil characteristics: structure, grain-size distribution, Atterberg limits, soil classification, the concept of effective stress, elements of groundwater flow, soil stress distribution under hydrostatic conditions and groundwater flow, consolidation-settlements. Shear strength: failure criteria, determining shear strength parameters in the lab. Slope stability.

Flexible retaining walls and anchors. General overview. Review of theories for earth pressures for cohesive and cohesionless soil. Self-supported walls (without anchors).  Flexible walls with single or multiple anchors. Construction and design methods for anchors. In-situ testing in Geotechnical Engineering.  General review of available testing methods. Performance.  Interpretation and application of three basic in-situ tests: Standard Penetration (SPT), Cone Penetration (CPT) and Pressuremeter Test (PT). Soil improvement and reinforcement. General review of available methods. Soil improvement by preloading. Use of drains to accelerate excess pore pressure dissipation and reduce preloading time. Soil reinforcement using gravel piles.

Elements of Rock Mechanics:  Discontinuity properties and their effect on rock mass behaviour, rock mass classification, in-situ stresses, models of mechanical behaviour, physical properties and mechanical parameters, strength criteria in-situ tests, stability of rock slopes.  Elements of the tunnelling theory:  Elastic stress distribution (deep and shallow openings), zone of influence of excavations, vertical and lateral pressures on linings.  Design of rigid and flexible linings, rock mass reinforcement and support during excavation.

Introduction : problems and significance of soil dynamics. Dynamics of simple elastic structures. Concept and applications of response spectrum. Seismic sliding of rigid block supported on frictional surface. Seismic Overturning of rigid body. Soil behaviour under dynamic and cyclic loading. Liquefaction of saturated granular soils. Measurements of soil parameters in the laboratory and in situ. One-dimensional wave propagation, reflection and refraction, propagating and stationary waves. The viscous-damping analogue. Resonance. Seismic wave propagation through soil deposits (“soil amplification” of seismic motion). Analysis of case studies on the role of soil conditions (Mexico, Kalamata, Pyrgos, Northridge, Kobe, Aegion). Two–dimensional wave propagation, surface waves. Vibrations of surface and embedded foundations. Seismic response of piles. Applications of soil dynamics in recent projects in Greece.

The overarching goal of the course is to develop environmental thinking related to (1) assessing the severity of a contaminant release in the subsurface, (2) recognizing the physical-chemical-biological mechanisms that affect the fate and transport of the released contaminant and, (3) selecting appropriate remedial measures and/or technologies. Course objectives are met if at the end of the semester students (a) can locate reliable data on the effects of contaminants on human health, (b) are confident in applying principles of mass transfer, groundwater flow and contaminant transport to problems of contamination and restoration of the subsurface, (c) are able to address the geoenvironmental aspects of landfill and clay barrier design, (d) are familiar with a wide range of remediation technologies, (e) are able to take initiatives related to modeling (i.e., related to the formulation of a simplified problem that admits solution) and, (f) are aware of some social or public policy dimensions of subsurface contamination and restoration problems.

Geotechnics of embankment and gravity dams: engineering geology, design and construction issues. Use of explosives in civil engineering construction. Tunnels: development of wall convergence during excavation, principles of the New Austrian Tunnelling Method (NATM), design of temporary support and final lining. Deep cuts and slopes in rock: mechanisms of instability, methods for improving stability, analysis and construction issues.

Continuum Mechanics in Computational Geotechnics (theory of elasticity, failure criteria). Common constitutive models for non-linear soil behaviour. Simple numerical methods: slope stability analysis with the method of slices. Introduction to the Finite Difference and the Finite Element methods for the solution of boundary value problems in geotechnics. Application of the Finite Element method in engineering practice: simulation of laboratory tests, bearing capacity and settlement of foundations, groundwater flow, deep excavations and retaining structures, static soil-structure interaction. Case studies.