Description
Modelling forms an implicit part of all engineering design but many engineers engage in modelling without consciously considering the nature, validity and consequences of the supporting assumptions. This book begins by presenting some of the models which form a part of the typical undergraduate geotechnical curriculum. There is then a description of some of the aspects of soil behaviour which contribute to the challenge of geotechnical modelling. Separate chapters are devoted to constitutive modelling, numerical modelling, physical modelling, centrifuge modelling and theoretical modelling, with a final chapter giving examples of modelling applied to problems of soil-structure interaction. In each chapter the aim is to introduce the reader to some of the language associated with different aspects of modelling and to provide pointers towards more detailed treatments which may be available in specialist texts. The book is derived from courses given to M level students (postgraduate and final year undergraduate MEng students). A familiarity with basic soil mechanics and with traditional methods of geotechnical design is assumed. The book will also be useful to practising engineers who find themselves involved in the specification of numerical or physical geotechnical modelling.
