Rock and Soil Mechanics in Civil Engineering

Soil mechanics deals with the study of the physical and mechanical properties of soils and their behavior under load. It focuses on soil classification, determination of stress and strain, shear strength, consolidation and stability of slopes. The knowledge gained is used in the design and assessment of geotechnical structures such as building foundations, retaining walls and earthworks.

Learning outcomes:
- the graduate defines the basic concepts of soil and rock mechanics, describes their physical and mechanical properties, identifies soil and rock types and quantifies the basic parameters obtained from laboratory and field tests.
- explains the behavior of soils and rocks under load, distinguishes individual stress and failure models and discusses the influence of stress, deformation and pore pressure on the stability of geotechnical structures.
- applies the principles of soil and rock mechanics in solving basic engineering problems, calculates stresses, deformations and strength characteristics and estimates the behavior of rock and soil environments in simple cases.
- analyzes the results of laboratory and field tests, decomposes the acting stress in the soil and rock mass, assesses the influence of individual parameters on stability and adjusts the calculation model according to boundary conditions.
- compiles a comprehensive solution to a simple geotechnical problem based on rock and soil mechanics, organizes input data and calculation outputs and is able to defend the selected model and results from a technical point of view.