Special Foundations and Retaining Walls

Code

10463

Academic unit

Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia

Department

Departamento de Engenharia Civil

Credits

6.0

Teacher in charge

Nuno Manuel da Costa Guerra

Weekly hours

5

Total hours

70

Teaching language

Português

Objectives

The student should be able to:
1.Calculate beams on elastic foundation.
2.Verify the safety for ultimate and serviceability limit states of deep foundations (single piles and groups of piles), for vertical (compression and traction) and horizontal loading.
3.Verify the safety for ultimate and serviceability limit states of multi-propped retaining walls.
4.Predict levels of damage to buildings adjacent to excavations supported by multi-propped retaining walls.

Subject matter

1. Beams on elastic foundation. Subgrade reaction coefficient and characteristic length of the soil-beam system. Solutions for infinite, semi-finite and finite beams. Validity of Winkler model.

2. Deep foundations. Resistance of single piles and groups of piles to vertical and horizontal loading. Solutions based on the concept of the Winkler modulus and on linearly and elastic media. Pile testing. Micropiles.

3. Flexible retaining structures. Multi-propped walls. Struts and anchors. Apparent earth pressure diagrams. Base stability. Actions of water and surcharges. Anchored walls. Design of walls under vertical loading. Overall stability. Movements caused by excavations. Instrumentation and monitoring. Levels of damage to buildings adjacent to excavations supported by multi-propped retaining walls

Teaching method

Theoretical and practical classes, where presentation of theory is followed by simple applications by the students.

Courses

• Civil Engineering (Structures and Geotechnics)
• Geotechnics Profile