CIVE 755Micromechanics of Soils

The theory of application of statistical mechanics to explain engineering behaviour of soils as discrete assemblies of particles. The introductory topics include mathematical descriptions of soil fabric, fabric tensor, definition of stress tensor in terms of average intergranular forces and characteristics of fabric, evolution of fabric due to shear deformations. Effects of particle shape and stiffness on macroscopic properties. Applications of micromechanics to constitutive models of granular materials. Drained and undrained response, behaviour under complex states of stress and effects associated with principal stress rotation.