Geotechnical engineering is now a fundamental component of construction projects. The first volume of this book therefore paves the way for the development of a lasting partnership between soil and foundations. Applied Geotechnics for Construction Projects 1 first defines, identifies and classifies soils, exploring their complexities and weaknesses, and then outlines the basic principles of stresses and strains that establish and develop within soils. The third chapter of the book introduces and develops methods of soil investigation in order to experimentally determine the geotechnical parameters that are useful in the design stage of construction projects. Each chapter of this first volume is illustrated with photographs of example construction sites and concludes with concrete examples of real projects. The result is a combination of geotechnical expertise and lessons learned from experience, both of which are highly valuable in the field of applied geotechnics for construction projects.

Table of Contents:
Foreword ix Philippe GUILLERMAIN† and François SCHLOSSER Entrepreneur’s Tribune: Geotechnics is at the Heart of Our Projects xi Pascal LEMOINE and Eric DURAND Preface xiii Acknowledgments xix Symbols and Notations xxi Introduction lv Chapter 1 Soil: Definition, Identification and Classification 1 1.1 Definition of a soil 1 1.1.1 Characteristic sizes 1 1.2 Soil types 6 1.2.1 Granular soils 7 1.2.2 Fine soils 7 1.3 Laboratory identification tests 9 1.3.1 Parameters and standards 9 1.3.2 Definition of parameters 10 1.4 Examples of soil identification and applications 13 1.4.1 Particle size analysis 13 1.4.2 Characterization of soil plasticity 14 1.4.3 Organic material content research 14 1.4.4 Liquefaction risk analysis 15 1.4.5 Characterization of clay soils with respect to swelling and shrinkage 16 1.4.6 Soil treatment for platforms and technical backfills 17 1.5 Soil classification 22 1.6 Illustrative samples 24 1.7 Roads and carriageways fact sheet 26 1.8 Railway platforms fact sheet 28 1.9 Appendix 1.1: Classification of soft soil and rock 30 1.10 References 40 Chapter 2 Stresses, Deformations and Behavioral Laws of Soils 41 2.1 Basic concepts of mechanics of continuous media 41 2.1.1 Concept of stress 41 2.1.2 Concept of deformation 42 2.1.3 Generalization of the state of stresses 44 2.1.4 Generalization of the deformation state 51 2.1.5 Deformation–displacement relations 51 2.1.6 Deformation rate 53 2.1.7 Acceleration 54 2.2 Behavioral laws 54 2.2.1 Elastic behavior model 55 2.2.2 Elasto-plastic behavioral models 64 2.2.3 Viscoelastic behavior models 77 2.2.4 Dynamic behavior of soils 78 2.3 Soil creep phenomenon 82 2.3.1 Creep mechanism 82 2.3.2 Creep stresses and deformations 82 2.4 Mechanics of continuous media applied to soils 83 2.4.1 Terzaghi’s fundamental relation 83 2.4.2 Concepts of short term and long term 84 2.4.3 Equilibrium equations 85 2.4.4 Experimental determination of elastic parameters of soil 90 2.4.5 Order of magnitude of soil parameters 93 2.5 Practical applications to construction projects 96 2.5.1 Calculation of vertical stresses in a homogeneous soil 96 2.5.2 Steps to solving finite element calculations: simple cases 98 2.5.3 Project 1: Modeling and calculation of settlement of a road embankment 109 2.5.4 Project 2: Study of the displacements of a retaining slurry trench wall 112 2.5.5 Project 3: Modeling of rafts on vertical stiff inclusions 118 2.5.6 Some lessons to be learned from deformation calculations 119 2.6 References 121 Chapter 3 Determination of the In-situ Geotechnical Parameters of Soils 125 3.1 Introduction 125 3.1.1 The purpose of testing in geotechnical projects 125 3.1.2 On-site and laboratory tests: which to choose? 126 3.2 General methodology of geotechnical studies 127 3.2.1 Phases and types of standard geotechnical studies 127 3.2.2 Standard geotechnical missions 128 3.2.3 Blueprint of a geotechnical study 135 3.3 Inventory of field tests in France 137 3.3.1 Soil identification and classification tests 137 3.3.2 Laboratory compression tests 138 3.3.3 Laboratory shear tests 138 3.3.4 Legend for parameters measured in the laboratory 138 3.3.5 Tests to determine the mechanical properties of soils on site 139 3.3.6 Legend for parameters measured on site 139 3.3.7 Tests for the measurement of soil permeability 140 3.3.8 Tests to measure the dynamic soil parameters 140 3.3.9 Specific tests 140 3.4 On-site parameter determination tests 141 3.4.1 Vane test 141 3.4.2 Cone penetration test (CPT) 151 3.4.3 Dynamic penetrometer test (PDA and PDB) 166 3.4.4 Standard penetration test (SPT) 172 3.4.5 Ménard pressuremeter test (MPT) 179 3.4.6 Phicometer shear test 198 3.4.7 Plate-bearing test 205 3.5 French conventional soil classification 214 3.5.1 Classification according to Fascicle 62, Part V 214 3.5.2 Soil classification according to Eurocode 7 214 3.5.3 Classification according to PS92 rules 216 3.5.4 Classification according to Eurocode 8 218 3.6 Correlations between parameters 219 3.6.1 Correlations between mechanical parameters measured on site 219 3.6.2 Correlations between other parameters 221 3.7 Practical analysis of typical tests 224 3.7.1 Practical example of monotonic pressuremeter tests 224 3.7.2 Practical example of pressuremeter tests with cycles 230 3.7.3 Control procedures for pressuremeter tests 232 3.7.4 Practical example of cone penetration tests 239 3.7.5 Variations and correlations between parameters measured on site 243 3.7.6 Photos of worksites and on-site survey equipment 247 3.8 Scope of application of on-site testing 254 3.9 Test results in typical soils 256 3.9.1 Pressuremeter tests (Baud diagram) 256 3.9.2 Pressuremeter tests in backfills treated with lime 257 3.9.3 Cone penetration tests 257 3.9.4 Common diagram for geotechnical investigations 258 3.10 Wise conclusion 262 3.11 Appendix 3.1: Correlations between net creep pressures and net limit pressures 262 3.12 References 263 French, European and ISO Standards in the Field of Geotechnics 271 Index 303 Summaries of Other Volumes 307