SOIL MECHANICS (E 3141)
Fall 2025

Tentative Schedule

Lectures (Monday, 13:10-15:40) Mudd 327

Lab (Thursday, 10:00-12:00)

 

#

Date

Lectures

Assignments

Labs

1

9/8

Introduction

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

1.4 Basic Definitions

 

 

2

9/15

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

2.3 Soil Consistency ˇV Atterbergˇ¦s Limits

     Liquid Limit Test, Plastic Limit Test, Plasticity Chart

1

9/18

Lab 1

3

9/22

2.4 Relative Density

3. Soil Classification Systems
3.1 US Dept of Agriculture System

3.2 Unified Soil Classification System
3.3 AASHTO Classification System

3.4 Burmister Soil Identification System

2

9/25

Lab 2

4

9/29

4. Soil Compaction
4.1 Soil Improvement/Modification
4.2 Process of Compaction

4.3 Compaction Tests
4.4  Factors Affecting Compaction

4.5 Soil Fabrics

4.6 Compacted Clay Liner

3

10/2

Yom Kippur

5

10/6

5. Effective Stress
5.1 Definition of Stress

5.2 In-Situ Stresses and Pore Water Pressure

5.3 Principle of Effective Stress

5.4 Stress Distribution

4

10/9

Lab 3

6

10/13

6. Stress States and Shear Strength of Soils

6.1 Introduction

6.2 Mohr's Circle

6.3 Pole Method

6.4 Stresses in a Plane

6.5 Shear Strength

6.6 Direct Shear Test and Coulomb Failure Criteria

5

10/16

Lab 4

7

10/20

7 Triaxial Compression Test

7.1 Mohr-Coulomb Failure Criteria

7.2 Drained and Undrained Tests

7.3 Stress Path

7.4 Relationships between Principal Stresses and Strength Parameters

7.5 Strength Correlation with Index Properties

6

10/23

Lab 5

8

10/27

 Mid-term

 

 

9

11/3

Holiday

 

 

10

11/10

8. Flow of Water in a Soil Mass
8.1 Introduction

8.2 Hydraulic Head, Hydraulic Gradient

8.3 Darcyˇ¦s Law

8.4 Permeability Tests (lab and field)

8.5 Empirical Relationships, Factors Affecting Permeability

 

11/13

Lab 6

11

11/17

8.6 Flow in Multi-Layer Strata

8.7 Two-Dimensional Flow: Laplace Equation and Solution

8.8 Flow Net

7

 

12

11/24

9. Consolidation

9.1 Mechanism of Consolidation

9.2 Consolidation Test

9.3 e-log p curve

9.4 Preconsolidation

9.5 Stress Increments due to Surface Loading
  Point Load, Uniformly Distributed Load...Boussinesq Solution,

 

11/27

Holiday

13

12/1

ˇK (cont) Newmarkˇ¦s Chart, Osterbergˇ¦s Chart, 2:1 method

9.6 Consolidation Settlement

8

12/4

Lab 7

14

12/8

9.7 Terzaghi's Theory of consolidation

9.8 Degree of Consolidation

 

 

15

12/15?

Final