This postgraduate course introduces the fundamental principles of soil mechanics through discussion of key experimental observations and constitutive modelling strategies, with particular emphasis on clayey soils. The governing field equations for a two-phase medium are first derived. This is followed by an overview of typical experimental results and their interpretation within the framework of Critical State Soil Mechanics. The essential concepts of plasticity theory are then presented, initially under one-dimensional conditions and subsequently generalised to three dimensions. This provides the theoretical framework for examining a broad class of plasticity-based soil models, ranging from conventional perfectly plastic models to advanced mixed-hardening, multi-surface formulations. Finally, an alternative constitutive approach based on thermodynamics with internal variables is introduced. Its advantages are discussed with particular reference to the insights it offers into the relationship between soil behaviour at the microscopic and macroscopic scales.
6, 9, 12, 16, 20 October 2026 10:00 – 13:00; 22 October 2026 15:00 – 18:00
Location
Aula Riunioni 329
Dipartimento di Ingegneria Strutturale e Geotecnica
Via Eudossiana 18, Roma