Course detail

Soil Mechanics

FAST-BFA002Acad. year: 2025/2026

Soil difference from other building materials - particle nature, multiphase system. Soil formation, clay minerals, residual soils.
Soil properties from the perspective of the individual phases. State characteristics of soils.
Stress and strain in 2D (Mohr circle, Effective stress, drained ver. undrained conditions).
Water in the soil (permeability, seepage in the soil).
Compressibility of soil. Consolidation.
Shear strength of soils. Stress path.
Stress in the soil (Geostatic stress vertical and lateral. Stresses in soil due to surface loads).
Practical applications.
Settlement of foundation soil (total, consolidation).
Bearing capacity of foundation soil.
Slope Stability (principles of slope stability analysis, the effect of water on slope stability).
Earth pressures (active, at rest and passive).

Language of instruction

Czech

Number of ECTS credits

Mode of study

Not applicable.

Guarantor

doc. Ing. Lumír Miča, Ph.D.

Department

Institute of Geotechnics (GTN)

Entry knowledge

Knowledge from Geology (soil formation, types of foundation soils). Fundamentals of Structural mechanics.

Rules for evaluation and completion of the course

Extent and forms are specified by guarantor’s regulation updated for every academic year.

Aims

To provide students with basic knowledge about soil properties and soil behaviour for safe and economical design of foundations, design of earth body and for vertical structures design.
Student will master the course objective and will have basic knowledge about soil properties and soil behaviour for safe and economical design of foundations, design of earth body and for vertical structures design.

Study aids

Not applicable.

Prerequisites and corequisites

Not applicable.

Basic literature

Budhu, M. , Soil mechanics and foundations, Wiley, 2011,  978-0-470-55684-9 (EN)
Mencl, V.: Mechanika zemin a skalních hornin, Academia, 1966, 978-800-7234-739-1 (CS)
  Miča, L.: Elektronické učební texty z Mechaniky zemin, 2021  (CS)

Recommended reading

Miča, L.: Elektronické učební texty z Mechaniky zemin, 2021  (CS)

Classification of course in study plans

  • Programme BPC-MI Bachelor's 2 year of study, winter semester, compulsory

Type of course unit

 

Lecture

26 hod., optionally

Teacher / Lecturer

doc. Ing. Lumír Miča, Ph.D.

Syllabus

  • 1. Introduction to soil mechanics (basic characteristics of soils; origin, formation, mineralogy, grain size composition).
  • 2. Index and state properties of soils. Classification of soils for engineering purposes.
  • 3. Basic of geomechanics – (Stress and strain in soil; Mohr´s circle; Principle of effective stress, The mechanical behavior of materials - elasticity, plasticity, failure; drainaed, undrained conditions; the effect of time).
  • 4. Importance of water in soil (permeability, steady state seepage).
  • 5. Compressibility of soil (isotropic, One-dimensional, over-consolidation).
  • 6. Consolidation; Creep (theory + laboratory testing); settlement (immediate, consolidation and total).
  • 7. Shear strength of soils (peak, critical, residual).
  • 8. Shear strength of soils continuation.
  • 9. Shear strength of soils - laboratory tests (triaxial tests, shear test).
  • 10. Bearing capacity of soil.
  • 11. Slope stability.
  • 12. Earth pressure. Compaction of soils.

Exercise

26 hod., compulsory

Teacher / Lecturer

Ing. Augustin Leiter, Ph.D.
Ing. Daniela Marková

Syllabus

  • 1. Index properties of soils. Characteristics of phase relationship in the soil.
  • 2. Classification of soils.
  • 3. Effective stress. Stresses in soil due to surface loads.
  • 4. Geostatic stress. Determination of the coefficient of hydraulic conductivity of the soil.
  • 5. Compression and consolidation – determination of relevant parameters.
  • 6. Calculation of settlements.
  • 7. Laboratory – index and state properties.
  • 8. Laboratory – mechanical properties.
  • 9. Determination of triaxial tests.
  • 10. Calculation of bearing capacity of soil.
  • 11. Solution of homogenous slope stability.
  • 12. Calculation of earth pressure. Credits.