2025 (Current Year) Faculty Courses School of Environment and Society Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering Graduate major in Civil Engineering
Physical Modeling in Geotechnics
- Academic unit or major
- Graduate major in Civil Engineering
- Instructor(s)
- Akihiro Takahashi / Mai Sawada
- Class Format
- Lecture
- Media-enhanced courses
- -
- Day of week/Period
(Classrooms) - Class
- -
- Course Code
- CVE.C431
- Number of credits
- 200
- Course offered
- 2025
- Offered quarter
- 3-4Q
- Syllabus updated
- Mar 19, 2025
- Language
- English
Syllabus
Course overview and goals
Geo-materials have complex mechanical properties with a lot of influential factors, which cause complicated behaviors of geotechnical structures such as foundations, slopes and tunnels. Physical modeling using scaled models under clear initial and boundary conditions is one of the effective approaches to observe the behaviors and study the influence of critical factors.
This course instructs theory, requirements, technology needed in physical modeling of geotechnical problems such as the scaling laws, appropriate simplification, sample preparation and measurement of the soil behaviors.
Course description and aims
With laboratory exercises, this course covers scaling laws and modelling considerations for physical modelling in geotechnical problems. From the lectures and exercises the students are expected to acquire knowledge and skills of conducting physical model tests and interpreting their results.
Keywords
properties of geo-materials, scaled models, scaling law, sample preparation, measurement strategy and sensors, static problems, dynamic problems, group work
Competencies
- Specialist skills
- Intercultural skills
- Communication skills
- Critical thinking skills
- Practical and/or problem-solving skills
Class flow
Combination of the lectures on basic subjects on physical modeling in geotechnics and group exercises. Each group will conduct centrifuge model test on the problem set by each group.
Course schedule/Objectives
| Course schedule | Objectives | |
|---|---|---|
| Class 1 | Introduction | Advantages of physical modeling and its role in geotechnical engineering practice |
| Class 2 | Scaling law and modeling principles | Dimensional Analysis, scaling law, modeling strategy of scaled physical model |
| Class 3 | Design of physical model and model ground preparation | Modeling of soil, structures and loading, soil sample preparation techniques |
| Class 4 | Testing strategy and measurements | Understanding sensing technology and instrumentation |
| Class 5 | Recent development in physical modeling – static problems | Modeling for geotechnical problems under static loading conditions |
| Class 6 | Recent development in physical modeling – dynamic problems | Modeling for geotechnical problems under dynamic loading conditions |
| Class 7 | Guidance for physical modeling exercise | Planning and excution of physical model test |
| Class 8 | Groupwork for modelling exercise | Planning and excution of physical model test |
| Class 9 | Presentation of exercise proposal | Proposal of physical model test |
| Class 10 | Groupwork for modelling exercise | Excution of physical model test |
| Class 11 | Groupwork for modelling exercise | Excution of physical model test |
| Class 12 | Groupwork for modelling exercise | Excution of physical model test |
| Class 13 | Groupwork for modelling exercise | Excution of physical model test |
| Class 14 | Presentation of exercise results and discussion | Derivation of main conclusions, confirmation of the accuracy and significance |
Study advice (preparation and review)
To enhance effective learning, students are encouraged to spend approximately 100 minutes preparing for class and another 100 minutes reviewing class content afterwards (including assignments) for each class.
They should do so by referring to textbooks and other course material.
Textbook(s)
Handouts on each topic will be provided by instructor.
Reference books, course materials, etc.
R.N. Taylor (1994) Geotechnical Centrifuge Technology, CRC Press, eBook ISBN 9781315145020
D. Muir Wood (2004) Geotechnical Modelling, CRC Press, eBook ISBN 9781315273556
Evaluation methods and criteria
Assignments, Reports of exercise, presentation of experimental work
Related courses
- CVE.C201 ： Soil Mechanics I
- CVE.C202 ： Soil Mechanics II
- CVE.C311 ： Geotechnical Engineering in Practice
- CVE.C401 ： Mechanics of Geomaterials
- CVE.C402 ： Stability Problems in Geotechnical Engineering
Prerequisites
Knowledge of soil mechnaics and geotechnical engineering
Interests or curiocity on any observed behavior in the model and insight to find the mechanism behind