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It is not an easy task to fascinate a student with a standard course on Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering. If, however, the same material is presented as a tool to explore a natural or a man-made "disaster", both the motivation and the ability to absorb this material increase dramatically. The case studies in this book could help to build an introductory Forensic Geotechnical Engineering course, covering such basic topics as settlements, bearing capacity and excavations. The failure cases considered in this book have something in common - they can be all reasonably well explained using so called "back-of-the-envelope" calculations, i.e., without sophisticated models requiring finite element analysis. These simple methods based on clear mechanical considerations are the endangered species of the computer dominated era, though sometimes they could prevent a disaster caused by a wrong application of computer models. In particular, the upper bound limit analysis has repeatedly proven itself as a powerful tool allowing for sufficiently accurate estimates of the failure loads and leaving a lot of room for creativity. No one is exempt from making mistakes, but repeating well known mistakes reveals a gap in education. One of the objectives of this book is to attempt bridging this gap, at least partially. More failure cases covering a larger area of geotechnical problems are included into the companion book "Geomechanics of Failures: Advanced Topics" by the same authors.

Engineering. --- Geoengineering, Foundations, Hydraulics. --- Geotechnical Engineering. --- Mathematical Applications in Earth Sciences. --- Applied Earth Sciences. --- Geography. --- Mathematical geography. --- Engineering geology. --- Hydraulic engineering. --- Ingénierie --- Géographie --- Géographique mathématique --- Géologie appliquée --- Technologie hydraulique --- Mécanique des sols --- Soil mechanics. --- Roches, Mécanique des --- Rock mechanics. --- Rupture, Mécanique de la --- Structural failures. --- Constructions, Théorie des --- Structural analysis (Engineering)

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The backbone of Geotechnical Engineering does not concern the development of more or less sophisticated tools and theories. It remains in a previous step. When facing a real problem it is necessary to isolate its fundamental aspects and to achieve a correct conceptual representation of its nature. This phase requires abstract thinking, which is certainly assisted by a proper understanding of paradigms and theories of Soil and Rock Mechanics. The process of abstract thinking with the aim of identifying the key issues usually renounces to complexity and secondary details. To be successful, concepts should be simple and rooted on well established mechanical and physical knowledge. Only when the relevant mechanisms or phenomena which define the problem are well understood, additional sophistication may be added for a more accurate analysis or interpretation. This book remains in this first "simple" stage. The correct identification of the essential traits of a geotechnical situation relies heavily also on accumulated experience and on educated intuition. But, how to educate intuition and how to transfer practical experience? Geotechnical failures, specially the catastrophic ones, are an excellent experience and a source of inspiration to improve our current understanding of phenomena and our procedures and tools for analysis and prediction. This unconventional manner to learn Geomechanics is the essence of this book which teaches how to build the necessary models to understand failures. Balance and equilibrium equations are formulated at different scales which are selected having in mind the abstract representation of the key concepts of each case.

Classical mechanics. Field theory --- Solid state physics --- Meteorology. Climatology --- Hydraulic energy --- Applied physical engineering --- Mining industry --- Engineering sciences. Technology --- Structural parts and elements of building --- opwarming (milieu) --- funderingen --- duurzame energie --- toegepaste mechanica --- mijnbouw --- geologie --- ingenieurswetenschappen --- mechanica --- hydraulica --- klimaatverandering --- Structural analysis (Engineering) --- Mathematical models. --- Constructions, Théorie des --- Rock mechanics. --- Roches, Mécanique des --- Structural failures. --- Rupture, Mécanique de la --- Structural failures --- Soil mechanics --- Rock mechanics --- Investigation. --- Engineering geology. --- Engineering—Geology. --- Foundations. --- Hydraulics. --- Mechanical engineering. --- Geotechnical engineering. --- Mechanics. --- Mechanics, Applied. --- Geoengineering, Foundations, Hydraulics. --- Mechanical Engineering. --- Geotechnical Engineering & Applied Earth Sciences. --- Solid Mechanics. --- Applied mechanics --- Engineering, Mechanical --- Engineering mathematics --- Classical mechanics --- Newtonian mechanics --- Physics --- Dynamics --- Quantum theory --- Engineering, Geotechnical --- Geotechnics --- Geotechnology --- Engineering geology --- Engineering --- Machinery --- Steam engineering --- Flow of water --- Water --- Fluid mechanics --- Hydraulic engineering --- Jets --- Architecture --- Building --- Structural engineering --- Underground construction --- Caissons --- Earthwork --- Masonry --- Soil consolidation --- Walls --- Civil engineering --- Geology, Economic --- Flow --- Distribution --- Details --- Geology