Description
Book SynopsisWith the changing environment, and the increasing size of construction projects, engineers now need a better understanding of ground behaviour to prevent future catastrophes such as the 1976 Teton Dam failure shown on the cover. The further additions in this book will help geotechnical engineers acquire this knowledge.
Trade ReviewThis 182-page book is a useful reference for anyone interested in or gaining knowledge of the development of critical-state soil mechanics, a theory of plasticity which was initially jointly developed by Schofield in the 1950s. Topics covered range from simple planar sliding of soil to plastic design in geotechnical engineering. Historical coverage starts with Coulomb’s theory of strength, through Taylor’s recognition that interlocking between grains provides a component of strength, to Schofield’s work on the Cam clay soil model and critical state concepts. Many other seminal geotechnical engineering contributions are discussed, critically reviewed and in some cases refuted. Limitations of the Cam clay model with regard to anisotropy, soil sensitivity and cyclic loading are acknowledged. The establishment and development of geotechnical centrifuge model testing in the UK is included together with mobilisable strength design, where calculations of the deformation of geotechnical systems are based on energy dissipation.
-- Colin Rawlings Jacobs/High Speed Two, UK
