Soil mechanics and geotechnics

The latest publications in this offer are:

• May 10, 2025

  C231

  Machine learning in geotechnics: a case study in tunnels

  This article presents, after a review of the state of the art on the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in geotechnics, a detailed methodology for the application of Machine Learning (ML) in practical geotechnical cases, with a particular focus on predicting settlements induced by tunnel excavation. Each step of the process, from problem scoping to model design, including data preparation, algorithm training, and obtaining the final model, is illustrated with concrete examples from this issue. The article also highlights the challenges associated with each phase, from data development and cleaning to model training, validation, and optimization, thus providing a structured approach to integrating ML into geotechnical projects.

• May 10, 2023

  C350

  Rock mechanics

  Any project concerning the rock mass requires a comprehensive characterization from a geotechnical point of view, which is the central topic of rock mechanics. A rock mass is a discontinuous environment made up of more or less intact blocks of rock, separated by discontinuities of different kinds. This article aims to present the essential concepts of rock mechanics and focuses on the geomechanical characterization of the rocks constituting the rock mass. In this document, we are mainly interested in the physical and mechanical properties of rocks. Elements on the phenomena of thermo-hydro-mechanical couplings are also provided. The characterization of the discontinuities and the rock mass is the subject of another article [C352].

• May 10, 2023

  C352

  Rock mechanics

  Any project concerning the rock mass requires a comprehensive characterization from a geotechnical point of view, which is the central topic of rock mechanics. A rock mass is a discontinuous environment made up of more or less intact blocks of rock, separated by discontinuities of different kinds. The aim of this article is to present the fundamental concepts of rock mechanics by highlighting the properties and specificities of the rock mass. Based on a general description of the rock mass, this article focuses on the description and geomechanical characterization of the discontinuities structuring the rock mass in blocks of rocks, and of the rock mass. resulting from the rock / discontinuities assembly.

• November 10, 2022

  C255

  Soil improvement and reinforcement

  This article is the first of a series of three, aiming at giving a complete panorama of techniques of soil improvement and reinforcement (C245 and C247).This first article is going to present, after a preliminary on the geotechnical investigations necessary to design and carry out soil improvement works, the different techniques of densification without admixtures first for granular soils and then for cohesive soils.

• November 7, 2022

  C220 Review

  Mechanical properties of soils determined in situ

  For the design of geotechnical structures, model calculation parameters can be determined from laboratory on specimens cut from samples taken by coring or using boreholes by carrying out in situ tests.This article outlines the basics the engineer should know about in-place testing (pressuremeter, penetrometer, SPT, vane shear test, etc.) and presents the semi-empirical relationships or correlations linking these parameters.Once the properties have been determined, it is necessary to synthesize the information and data collected to develop the geotechnical model with a controlled risk.One way to limit this risk is to use correlations to estimate the data sets quality collected by performing comparisons. Several examples are given at the end of this article.

• November 7, 2022

  C219 Review

  Correlations between soil properties

  For the design of geotechnical structures, the calculation parameters of the models can be determined in the laboratory on specimens cut from core samples or in a borehole by performing in situ tests. Once the properties have been determined, it is necessary to synthesize the information and data collected to develop the geotechnical model with a controlled risk. One way to limit this risk is to use correlations to estimate the quality of the collected data sets by making comparisons. This article outlines the basics that the engineer must know when developing these relationships and presents some semi-empirical relationships or correlations linking these parameters.

• December 10, 2021

  C247

  Soil improvement and reinforcement

  This article continues the comprehensive overview of soil improvement and reinforcement techniques by adjuvant treatments. It presents the treatment of the soil by injections.

• November 10, 2021

  C245

  Soil improvement and reinforcement

  This second article continues the complete panorama of techniques of improvement and reinforced soil techniques by treatment with admixtures. It presents the techniques of reinforcement by flexible inclusions, stone columns, and, by rigid inclusions.

• September 10, 2021

  C221

  Micro-mechanical behavior models for geomaterials

  Recent developments in the constitutive modeling of geomaterials are based on a micro-mechanical description of the physical and chemical interactions involved at the scale of their microstructure. The main constitutive models resulting from this micro-mechanical description are presented in this article. Such models can be either analytical (named "micro-mechanical constitutive relations"), or numerical (built using the discrete element method). Some micro-mechanical elements may also be introduced in more classical phenomenological visco-elasto-plastic relations.

• August 30, 2021

  C204 Review

  Geology

  This article aims firstly to present the main types of rocks that constitute our subsoil and the structures or deformations that affect them, to introduce notions on geological time and the elements and methods that make it possible to establish the relationship between rocks and the chronology of geological events.The diversity of rocks in space and time is then illustrated by a brief presentation of the geology of France.The last part presents the challenges and the methodology of geology applied to civil engineering.

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