Overall objectives:

1 - Acquire essential knowledge about excavations and retaining structures, necessary for professional activities in both design and production areas (construction management and supervision).
2 - Acquire the ability to define adequate excavation and earth retaining solutions, for different scenarios, based on the methods and regulations covered.
3 - Know the main theories and methods for the analysis of the stability of natural slopes and slopes resulting from excavation, as well as stabilization measures.
4 - Know the main types of earth retaining structures, specificities, construction technologies and design methods. Identification of Ultimate and Serviceability Limit States and design according to Eurocode 7.
5 - Understand the importance of geotechnical monitoring, main parameters to monitor and the types of equipment used for measurement.

Syllabus:

1 - Slopes in rock and soil masses. Slope stability analysis. Method of slices. Method of wedges. Safety analysis and stabilization measures. Back analysis in slopes.
2 - Earth pressures, water pressures and surcharge pressure acting on retaining structures. Design of retaining walls according to Eurocode 7. Gravity retaining walls, cantilever reinforced concrete retaining walls. Limit states. Global stability, base sliding, foundation failure, overturning, structural failure.
3 - Flexible earth retaining structures. Soil-structure interaction and arch-effect. Cantilever, single support, multi-propped and multi-anchored walls. Construction solutions. Berlin-type walls, bored pile walls, diaphragm walls and sheet pile walls. Design and importance of the construction sequence. Ground anchors. Base stability. Global stability.
4 - Movements associated with excavations. Instrumentation and monitoring.

Literature/Sources:

M. Matos Fernandes , 2015 , Mecânica dos Solos. Vol. II: Introdução à engenharia geotécnica , FEUP
M. Matos Fernandes , 2020 , Analysis and Design of Geotechnical Structures , CRC PRESS
J. Brito; J.D. Silvestre; R.C. Gomes , 2021 , Tecnologia de contenções e fundações , LIDEL
Malcolm Puller , 1996 , Deep Excavations: A Practical Manual , Thomas Telford
Eddie Bromhead , 2000 , The stability of slopes , CRC PRESS

Assesssment methods and criteria:

Classification Type: Quantitativa (0-20)

Evaluation Methodology:
Theoretical and theoretical-practical classes, including the presentation of the contents outlined in the program and exercises for the application of concepts and knowledge consolidation. Evaluation Methodology: Quantitative assessment (0-20). Regular Season: Two Tests (weighting 40%, each, in the final grade) with theoretical and theoretical-practical questions, covering all topics of the curriculum unit, which focuses on student's ability to relate parts of the syllabus. Two Individual problem-solving assignments (each with a weight of 10%). In this way, the student can, throughout the semester, assess their performance and change strategies, if necessary. To pass the course, the student must achieve a final grade greater than or equal to 9.5. Resit and Special Seasons: exam covering all topics of the course.