Fundamentals of Soil Behavior Third Editio

Abstract

According to the National Research Council (1989, 2005), sound geoengineering is key in meeting seven critical societal needs. They are waste management and environmental protection, infrastructure development and rehabilitation, construction efficiency and innovation, security, resource discovery and recovery, mitigation of natural hazards, and the exploration and development of new frontiers. Solution of problems and satisfactory completion of projects in each of these areas cannot be accomplished without a solid understanding of the composition, structure, and behavior of soils because virtually all of humankind’s structures and facilities are built on, in, or with the Earth. Thus, the purpose of this book remains the same as for the prior two editions; namely, the development of an understanding of the factors determining and controlling the engineering properties and behavior of soils under different conditions, with an emphasis on why they are what they are. We believe that this understanding and its prudent application can be a valuable asset in meeting these societal needs. In the 12 years since publication of the second edition, environmental problems requiring geotechnical inputs have remained very important; dealing with natural hazards and disasters such as earthquakes, floods, and landslides has demanded increased attention; risk assessment and mitigation applied to existing structures and earthworks has become a major challenge; and the roles of soil stabilization, ground improvement, and soil as a construction material have expanded enormously. These developments, as well as the introduction of new computational, geophysical, and sensing methods, new emphasis on micromechanical analysis and behavior, and, perhaps regrettably, the reduced emphasis on laboratory measurement of soil properties have required looking at soil behavior in new ways. More and more it is becoming appreciated that geochemical and microbiological phenomena and processes play an essential role in many types of geotechnical problems. Some of these considerations have been incorporated into this new edition. Although the format of the book has remained much the same as in the first two editions, the contents have been reviewed and revised in detail, with deletion of some material no longer considered to be essential and introduction of substantial new material to incorporate important recent developments. We have reorganized the material among chapters to improve the flow of topics and logic of presentation. Time effects on soil strength and deformation behavior have been separated into a new Chapter 12. Additional soil property correlations have been incorporated. The addition of sets of questions and problems at the end of each chapter provide a feature not present in the first two editions. Many of these questions and problems are open ended and without single, clearly defined answers, but they are designed to stimulate broad thinking and the realization that judgment and incorporation of concepts and methods from a range of disciplines is often needed to provide satisfactory solutions to many geoengineering problems. We are indebted to innumerable students and professional colleagues whose inquiring minds and perceptive insights have helped us clarify issues and find new and better explanations for observed processes and behavior. J. Carlos Santamarina and David Smith provided helpful suggestions on the overall content and organization. Charles J. Shackelford reviewed and provided valuable suggestions for the sections of Chapter 9 on chemical osmosis and advective and diffusive chemical flows. Other important contributions to this third edition in the for