This master-level course deals with the groundwater effects on soil stability and underground structures.

The course is intended to explain hydrogeological processes occurring around underground structures and to provide tools to solve the most common problems associated with stability of such structures. Some bench-scale physical experiments will be used to familiarize the students with the theoretical concepts through a practical approach.

The course will cover topics related to groundwater hydrology and geotechnical engineering:
- Properties of porous medium
- Groundwater movement
- Potential theory and flow nets
- Subsurface characterization
- Soil strength and stress balance
- Water-induced instabilities

Some applications related to the topics taught during the course include:
- Water level abatement for dry excavations
- Relationship between groundwater extraction and ground subsidence
- Interaction between groundwater and linear structures (tunnels, drains)
- Interaction between groundwater and hydraulic structures (dams)

Freeze, A.R., and Cherry, J.A. Groundwater. Prentice Hall, 1979. ISBN: 0133653129

Gonzalez De Vallejo, L. Geological Engineering. CRC Press, 2011. ISBN: 9780415413527

Budhu, M. Soil Mechanics Fundamentals. Wiley Blackwell, 2015. ISBN: 9781119019657