engineering

Geotechnical Engineering & Soil Mechanics

Explore the mechanics of soils and foundations — Terzaghi bearing capacity, one-dimensional consolidation settlement, Rankine earth pressure on retaining walls, axial pile load capacity, and soil liquefaction potential with real-time interactive simulations.

geotechnical engineeringsoil mechanicsbearing capacityconsolidationretaining wallpile foundationliquefactioncivil engineering

Geotechnical engineering is the branch of civil engineering concerned with the behavior of earth materials — soils, rocks, and groundwater — and their interaction with foundations, retaining structures, and slopes. Every building, bridge, and dam ultimately transfers its loads into the ground, making soil mechanics the invisible foundation of all construction. Understanding bearing capacity, settlement, lateral earth pressure, and liquefaction is essential for safe and economical design.

These simulations let you calculate Terzaghi bearing capacity for shallow foundations, predict consolidation settlement over time, analyze Rankine earth pressures on retaining walls, estimate axial pile capacity in layered soils, and evaluate liquefaction potential under seismic loading — all with physically accurate equations and animated visualizations that respond to your parameter changes in real time.

5 interactive simulations

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Terzaghi Bearing Capacity of Shallow Foundations

Calculate the ultimate bearing capacity of shallow foundations using Terzaghi's classical equation — visualize failure surfaces, pressure bulbs, and the contributions of cohesion, surcharge, and soil self-weight terms

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1D Terzaghi Consolidation Settlement

Simulate one-dimensional consolidation of clay layers under load — visualize pore pressure dissipation, settlement over time, and the degree of consolidation using Terzaghi's theory

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Soil Liquefaction & Cyclic Stress Analysis

Evaluate soil liquefaction potential under seismic loading — calculate the cyclic stress ratio (CSR), cyclic resistance ratio (CRR), and factor of safety against liquefaction using the simplified procedure

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Axial Pile Load Capacity

Estimate the axial load capacity of driven piles using static analysis — visualize tip resistance, skin friction distribution, and load transfer along the pile shaft

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Rankine Earth Pressure on Retaining Walls

Calculate active and passive earth pressures using Rankine theory — visualize pressure distributions, resultant forces, and the effect of soil properties on retaining wall design