SOIL MECHANICS (E 3141)
Spring 2024

Schedule: Lectures (Tuesday and Thursday, 11:40-12:55 pm).). Lab (Monday and Wednesday, 1:10-2:25 pm)

Schedule in gray: tentative

#

Date

Lectures

Assignments

Labs

1

1/16

Introduction

 

 

2

1/18

1. Basic Definitions
1.1 Soil Formation - Geology
1.2 Soil Sampling/Subsurface Exploration
1.3 Phase Diagram

 

 

3

1/23

1.4 Basic Definitions

Assignment 1

Lab 1

4

1/25

1.5 Relations between Unit Weight and Other Basic Properties
1.6 Soil Mixtures

2. Index Properties and Their Measurements
2.1 Introduction

2.2 Grain Size Distribution/Gradation


 

 

5

1/30

2.3 Soil Consistency ˇV Atterbergˇ¦s Limits

     Liquid Limit Test, Plastic Limit Test, Plasticity Chart

2.4 Relative Density

Assignment 2

 

6

2/1

3. Soil Classification Systems
3.1 US Dept of Agriculture System

3.2 Unified Soil Classification System
3.3 AASHTO Classification System

 

 

7

2/6

3.4 Burmister Soil Identification System
4. Soil Compaction
4.1 Soil Improvement/Modification
4.2 Process of Compaction

 

Lab 2

8

2/8

4.3 Compaction Tests
4.4  Zero-Air-Void Curve

4.5 Relative Compaction

4.6 Compacted Clay Liner and Soil Fabrics

Assignment 3

 

9

2/13

5. Effective Stress
5.1 Definition of Stress

5.2 In-Situ Stresses and Pore Water Pressure

5.3 Principle of Effective Stress

 

Lab 3

10

2/15

5.4 Stress Distribution

6. Stress States and Shear Strength of Soils

6.1 Introduction

Assignment 4

 

11

2/20

6.2 Mohr's Circle

6.3 Pole Method

6.4 Stresses in a Plane

 

 

12

2/22

  revision

 

 

13

2/27

 Exam 1

Assignment 5

 

14

2/29

6.5 Shear Strength

6.6 Direct Shear Test and Coulomb Failure Criteria

 

 

15, 16

3/5, 3/7

6.7 Triaxial Compression Test

6.8 Mohr-Coulomb Failure Criteria

6.9 Drained and Undrained Conditions

6.10 Stress Path

6.11 Relationships between Principal Stresses and Strength Parameters

6.12 Strength Correlation with Index Properties

Assignment 6

Lab 4

 

 

 

 

 

 

3/12

Spring recess

 

 

 

3/14

Spring recess

 

 

17

3/19

Burmister Lecture

 

Lab 5

18

3/21

7. Flow of Water in a Soil Mass
7.1 Introduction

7.2 Hydraulic Head, Hydraulic Gradient

7.3 Darcyˇ¦s Law

 

 

19

3/26

7.4 Permeability Tests (lab and field)

7.5 Empirical Relationships, Factors Affecting Permeability

7.6 Flow in Multi-Layer Strata

7.7 Two-Dimensional Flow: Laplace Equation and Solution

 

 

20

3/28

7.8 Flow Net

 

 

21

4/2

Review

 

Lab 6

22

4/4

Exam 2

 

 

23

4/9

Consolidation

1. Mechanism of Consolidation

2. Consolidation Test

3. e-log p curve

 

 

24

4/11

4. Stress Increments due to Surface Loading
  Point Load, Uniformly Distributed Load...Boussinesq Solution, Newmark Chart, 2:1 method

Assignment 7

 

25

4/16

5 Preconsolidation

6. Consolidation Settlement

 

Lab 7

26

4/18

7. Terzaghi's Theory of consolidation

 

 

27

4/23

8. Degree of Consolidation

 

 

28

4/25

9. Coefficient of consolidation
10. Secondary Consolidation and Time-Dependent Settlement

 

 

29

5/7 ?

Exam 3

 

 

 

5/15

commencement