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In Situ and Laboratory Tests for Analysis and Application in Soil Mechanics

A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). This special issue belongs to the section "Civil Engineering".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2025 | Viewed by 1044

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Antonio Cavallaro

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Heritage Science (ISPC)—Italian National Research Council (CNR), 95124 Catania, Italy
Interests: earthquake engineering; geotechnics; soil mechanics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Geotechnical Engineering is the study of applying principles of soil and rock mechanics to real-world problems. Geotechnical engineers observe the behavior of soils under static and dynamic loads and water seepage and contaminant flow in soils, and analyze and design structures made with soils, all of which are foundations for structures supported by soils; these include temporary and permanent retaining structures, natural and engineered slopes, several components of landfills, and pavements.

Geotechnical engineers work closely with structural and environmental engineers. Understanding and applying the concepts of soil mechanics requires sound knowledge of the physics, statics, dynamics, mathematics, and mechanics of materials.

For the purpose of correctly analyzing soil behavior, it is essential to possess appropriate knowledge of its mechanical characteristics. In this context, the execution of tests in situ or in the laboratory, both in static and dynamic fields, allows us to evaluate the basic behavior parameters for the subsequent processes of the problems present in the application field under study. Subsequently, it is therefore possible to use numerical simulations, developed within different fields of soil behavior, which allow for the identification of the solutions necessary for solving case studies. On the one hand, it is important to have in-depth knowledge of the materials being analyzed, and on the other hand, a mechanical analysis of the soils is necessary to define and understand the fields of application.

This Special Issue will be dedicated to soil mechanics analysis in geotechnical engineering.

Dr. Antonio Cavallaro
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Applied Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • in situ tests
  • laboratory tests
  • soil mechanics
  • calculation models
  • earthquake hazards
  • case studies

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

23 pages, 20961 KiB  
Article
Bridging In Situ Testing and Constitutive Modelling: An Automated Approach to Soil Parameter Identification
by Islam Marzouk and Franz Tschuchnigg
Appl. Sci. 2025, 15(13), 7224; https://doi.org/10.3390/app15137224 - 26 Jun 2025
Viewed by 219
Abstract
In situ testing is essential in geotechnical engineering, providing valuable insights into both soil stratification and material behaviour. This paper illustrates an automated framework for deriving constitutive model parameters from in situ test data. The framework employs a graph-based approach that enhances both [...] Read more.
In situ testing is essential in geotechnical engineering, providing valuable insights into both soil stratification and material behaviour. This paper illustrates an automated framework for deriving constitutive model parameters from in situ test data. The framework employs a graph-based approach that enhances both transparency and adaptability—transparency by explicitly tracing the computation of each parameter and adaptability by allowing users to incorporate their expertise. The study applies this framework to a marine clay test site, demonstrating its ability to determine soil parameters efficiently. Additionally, the framework is directly integrated into a finite element software, enabling seamless parameter transfer for numerical modelling. A case study is presented in which a shallow foundation is simulated to illustrate the practical application of this approach. This framework is particularly valuable in the early stages of geotechnical projects, providing detailed soil characterisation when site data is limited. Validating the accuracy of the derived parameters and incorporating additional in situ test methods are part of ongoing research. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue In Situ and Laboratory Tests for Analysis and Application in Soil Mechanics)
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17 pages, 2770 KiB  
Article
Shear Strength of Sand: Integrated Analysis of Initial Porosity and Stress Effects
by Krzysztof Żarkiewicz and Roman Bednarek
Appl. Sci. 2025, 15(11), 5902; https://doi.org/10.3390/app15115902 - 23 May 2025
Viewed by 573
Abstract
This paper investigates the effects of initial porosity index and load range on the shear strength of a sand sample using direct shear tests performed with a standard direct shear apparatus under varying densities, from loose to compacted. This study focuses on the [...] Read more.
This paper investigates the effects of initial porosity index and load range on the shear strength of a sand sample using direct shear tests performed with a standard direct shear apparatus under varying densities, from loose to compacted. This study focuses on the distinction between the peak (ϕp) and critical (ϕcv) internal friction angles and their variation with stress level and initial porosity. Results show that the internal friction angle of sand depends on the stress state and initial porosity, reaching a peak value at maximum shear stresses and a critical value at constant sample volume. Higher initial compaction increases the peak friction angle, while higher effective stresses reduce the critical porosity index. The critical state line (CSL) defines the contraction and dilation behaviour of soils, with the critical porosity index varying with average soil stress. The analysis confirmed Bolton’s empirical relationship, linking the peak friction angle with the critical state angle and the dilation angle. This study emphasizes the importance of accurately defining the internal friction angle and considering the nonlinear relationship between shear strength and normal stresses. These findings are significant for geotechnical engineering, particularly in foundation bearing capacity, earth pressure, and slope stability analysis. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue In Situ and Laboratory Tests for Analysis and Application in Soil Mechanics)
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