Skip to main content
CODE 115532
ACADEMIC YEAR 2026/2027
CREDITS
SCIENTIFIC DISCIPLINARY SECTOR ICAR/07
LANGUAGE Italian
TEACHING LOCATION
  • GENOVA
SEMESTER 1° Semester
MODULES Questo insegnamento è un modulo di:

OVERVIEW

The aim of the course is to provide students with the fundamentals of Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering, with particular emphasis on the physical and mechanical

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

The aim of the course is to provide students with the fundamentals of Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering, with particular emphasis on the physical and mechanical characterization and on the identification and analysis of the hydro-mechanical behaviour of soils. The course therefore aims to introduce the theoretical approaches related to the mechanical response of soils, in order to provide a solid basic knowledge for tackling geotechnical analyses.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

The aim of the module is to provide students with the fundamentals of Geotechnical Engineering, with particular attention to the physical and mechanical characterization of soils and to the study of the interaction between the liquid and solid phases in a porous medium. The course therefore aims to introduce the theoretical approaches to the hydro-mechanical response of soils, in order to provide the basic knowledge needed to address subsequent engineering analyses.

LEARNING OUTCOMES: Soil classification. Evaluation of initial stress states and their possible evolution over time. Analysis of seepage phenomena in a two-phase porous medium. One-dimensional consolidation. Problems related to soil strength in geotechnical engineering: understanding of general analysis methods and their applicability.

PREREQUISITES

To take the exam for this course, students must have passed the following examinations:

CIVIL AND ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING 8715 (cohort 2023/2024)
GENERAL PHYSICS 56686 (2023)
GEOMETRY 56721 (2023)
MATHEMATICAL ANALYSIS II 60243 (2023)
MATHEMATICAL PHYSICS I 60354 (2023)
MATHEMATICAL ANALYSIS I 72290 (2023)

TEACHING METHODS

The course is structured into lectures, exercises, and case study discussions.

Students who have a valid certification of physical disability or learning disability on file at the University and who wish to discuss possible accommodations or other matters related to lectures, coursework, or examinations are required to contact both the course instructor and Prof. Federico Scarpa (federico.scarpa@unige.it), the disability representative of the Polytechnic School.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

Introduction to Geotechnical Engineering. General characteristics of soils.
Identification properties and soil classification.
Initial state conditions and stress history.
Effective stress principle.
Water in soils.
Permeability and seepage flow.
One-dimensional consolidation.
Soil strength criteria and critical state.

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

R. Berardi (2020), Fondamenti di Geotecnica, 4a edizione .Città Studi, De Agostini Scuola

L. Tonni, G. Gottardi (2010), Esercizi di Geotecnica, Soc. Editrice Esculapio, Bologna

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

LESSONS

LESSONS START

The start date of lectures can be consulted at the following address: https://easyacademy.unige.it/portalestudenti/

Class schedule

The timetable for this course is available here: Portale EasyAcademy

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

The exam will consist of an oral test during which the solution of an analytical exercise may also be required. The oral exam can be taken on the dates scheduled in the exam calendar.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

Assessment will be carried out exclusively through an oral examination, consisting of questions on the topics covered during the lectures and potentially including the solution of an analytical exercise.