Roy Whitlow Basic Soil Mechanics May 2026

Whitlow points out that the tower tilted because the foundation clay was over-consolidated in the past (by ancient glacial ice) but is now normally consolidated under its own weight. The engineers used undrained parameters for a drained problem. Whitlow’s solution: If they had run a simple oedometer test to find the Pre-consolidation Pressure (σ'p), they would have predicted the tilt in 1173 CE.

Whitlow connects the lab to the field.

Overview: Defining the three-phase system and classifying soils based on particle size. roy whitlow basic soil mechanics

  • 2.2 Volume Relationships:
  • 2.3 Weight-Mass Relationships:
  • 2.4 Fundamental Formulae:

    • Overview: Standard systems used to categorize soils for engineering purposes. Whitlow points out that the tower tilted because

  • 3.2 Plasticity Characteristics:
  • 3.3 Classification Systems:

    • Strengths:

    Limitations: