As physical modeling sees increasing use in geotechnical engineering education, there is a need for a strategic approach for integrating this powerful simulation technique into courses in a way that ensures the greatest benefit for students. For this reason, a learning theory approach, which recognizes the natural learning cycle of students, has been developed. The approach is based on a modifi...

John S. McCartney received BSCE and MSCE degrees from the University of Colorado Boulder and a PhD degree in civil engineering from the University of Texas at Austin. Dr. McCartney’s research interests include unsaturated soil mechanics, geosynthetics, and thermally active geotechnical systems. He has received several research awards, including the NSF Faculty Early Development (CAREER) Award i...

The finite-element (FE) method is widely recognized as a powerful tool in modeling structural and geotechnical systems and simulating their response to static and dynamic loads. In addition, numerical optimization is commonly used in many engineering applications, such as structural reliability analysis, FE model updating, structural identification, and structural optimization. This paper focus...

Passive method is a new procedure in stabilizing loose soils. This methodology is a type of interlocking soil particles structures. In order to optimum improve in this method, it is necessary to achieve proper penetration length and increase the shear strength of parameters. Researches have shown an increased resistance to liquefaction and decreased permeability due to colloidal Nano silica inj...

It is the essence of geotechnical design to obtain soil parameters for design that are different from a site to another. Therefore, soil investigations play very important role in geotechnical design. The modeling of the ground based on investigation results is called site characterization, and there are some new developments in this area based on statistical theories. In the new approach, the ...

The Jackson Lake Dam was constructed in 1917 in the Grand Teton National Park near Jackson, Wyoming. The dam was a hydraulic fill placed on a natural alluvium and outwash foundation. The Bureau of Reclamation (Burec) determined that the dam and its foundation would be susceptible to liquefaction and failure during a potential earthquake; a series of contracts was let to remove and replace the d...

Response of soil depends on both the mechanical properties of soil itself and the nature of loading. Many geotechnical engineering problems are associated with dynamic and cyclic loadings, such as ocean wave or ice loading applied on foundations of offshore structures or bridges, dynamic loading applied on foundations of offshore wind power structures, ocean wave loading on harbor structures, s...

This paper presents a study on the permanent lateral deformation and potential flow of ground due to soil liquefaction in the San Jose area of Northern California. Assessment of ground deformation by lateral flow is made through the use of a set of geotechnical Information Technologies, including GIS, LiDAR, and FEM analysis. By using a geotechnical database consisting of approximately 600 bore...

T. Orr, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland The authors have presented an interesting paper concerning a fundamental problem for geotechnical engineers: the bearing capacity of circular foundations on sand. In this paper the authors have included an equation for the factor Na in the bearing capacity equation for circular foundations on the ground surface, which has been determined from the results ...