The book A Primer on Theoretical Soil Mechanics, written by Dimitrios Kolymbas and translated by Dr. Ali Noorzad, Professor at the Faculty of Civil Engineering, Water and Environmental Engineering of Shahid Beheshti University, together with Dr. Nazanin Mahboubi Motlagh and Dr. Marzieh Ansari Toroghi, PhD graduates of the same university, has been published.
This book has been published for the first time in 1404 (Iranian calendar year) by Shahid Beheshti University Press in a 290-page, medium-format (Vaziri) edition, and is offered at the price of 2,650,000 rials.
Soil mechanics, as one of the most important branches of geotechnical engineering, has over past decades been shaped largely by theories that, since the time of Terzaghi, have traditionally been accepted in academic circles. Despite significant advances in numerical and laboratory analyses, a comprehensive and complete understanding of the behavior of granular materials—particularly under complex stress–strain conditions—remains elusive, a challenge that becomes especially apparent when attempting to reconcile prevailing theories with the results of high-precision experiments.
This book is a scientific and well-structured work in the field of soil mechanics which, through an innovative approach, proposes a new framework for modeling the behavior of granular materials. The present work is the result of years of research and teaching by Professor Dimitrios Kolymbas, Professor Emeritus of the University of Innsbruck, Austria, in which the theory of “hypoplasticity” is introduced with the aim of simplifying the modeling of granular materials and providing a coherent, analytically tractable structure. Developed in continuity with generalized (rate-independent) constitutive theories, this theory is characterized by features such as not requiring a yield surface, dependence on the strain path, and a concise mathematical form. It enables more accurate modeling of inelastic behavior, loading and unloading, as well as dilation and compaction in granular materials.
The content of the book spans a wide range of fundamental and advanced topics in soil mechanics—from introducing material behavior based on triaxial tests, to developing constitutive models, tensors, and the concepts of stress and strain, culminating in a full exposition of hypoplasticity theory. Chapter 16, which is devoted specifically to this theory, represents the book’s key innovative focus and offers a new framework for analyzing inelastic materials. In doing so, the author establishes an effective link between theory and engineering practice by presenting experimental examples and comparing them with empirical data.
The Persian translation is a complete version of the original text, and no alterations have been made to its scientific content. The translators have sought to ensure both precise transmission of specialized concepts and the readability of the text, using scientific terminology in line with commonly accepted equivalents in Persian academic literature.
This work can serve as a useful and practical reference for master’s and doctoral students in civil engineering, as well as researchers and instructors in the field of geotechnical engineering.
Students and interested readers may purchase the printed edition by visiting the sales office of the Center for Publishing Scientific Works of Shahid Beheshti University, located in the Information Technology (IT) Building, ground floor, or by placing an online order through the Center’s website at https://press.sbu.ac.ir/ An electronic edition is also available through the “Fidibo” and “Taghcheh” websites.