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- General introduction: overview of excavation and underground works in in the civil engineering sector. - Review of Continuum Mechanics basic concepts: stress and strain analysis, elasticity, plasticity. - Basic concepts of Soil Mechanics: soil classification, permeability and flow, principle of effective stress, constitutive relationships for soils, compressibility and consolidation, shear strength, laboratory tests, in situ tests and investigations. - Excavations: excavation techniques, support and reinforcement systems, risks during constructions, stability of unsupported excavations, earth pressure theories, design criteria for retaining walls, verification of ultimate limit states. - Basic concepts of Rock Mechanics: characteristics of rock material and discontinuities, rock-mass classification systems, laboratory tests, strength and deformability criteria for rocks, in situ state of stress. - Tunnels: geomechanical profile, construction methods (conventional and mechanised tunnelling), reinforcement and support systems, ground treatment, risks during construction, monitoring measurements, approaches based on the observational method (NATM, ADECO).

A prior knowledge and understanding of Continuum Mechanics, Hydraulics, Soil Mechanics and Engineering Geology is required to attend with profit this course. This knowledge is typically acquired during the following undergraduate courses: Structural Mechanics, Hydraulics, Geotechnics and Engineering Geology.

Teaching material provided by the teacher. Brady B.H.G., Brown E.T. (2006). Rock Mechanics for Underground Mining. Springer. Budhu M. (2011). Soils Mechanics and Foundations. John Wiley & Sons. Hoek E. (2006). Practical Rock Engineering. https://www.rocscience.com/assets/resources/learning/hoek/Practical-Rock-Engineering-Full-Text.pdf Knappett J.A., Craig R.F. (2012). Craig’s Soil Mechanics. Spon Press. Lancellotta R. (2009). Geotechnical Engineering. Taylor & Francis.

Attendance to all lectures is recommended.

Questions will be asked on both the theory and the exercises carried out during the course.

Lessons at the blackboard and with the aid of PowerPoint presentations, seminars, class- and home-works.