This course focuses on geotechnical theory and practice regarding the design/analysis of earth retaining structures, shallow and deep foundations – including spread/strip footings, mats, driven piles, and drilled shafts, and slope stability investigations of natural and man-made slopes. Applied loads based on various suggested codes and approaches, foundation selection and dimensioning, bearing capacity, settlement, group effects, and lateral load capacity of various foundation types will be covered with an emphasis on practical aspects and applications. Calculation of loads due to lateral earth pressures on structures that retain them and appropriate considerations for designing various earth retaining structures will be presented. An essential aspect of designing in geotech-nical engineering is to be able to specify and deduce appropriate soil parameters, where a thor-ough understanding of the in-situ sampling and characterization from site investigation methods is necessary. Stability of natural and excavation/fills and improvement techniques of founding soils are also common practical issues.
- Plan a subsurface exploration, and select appropriate drilling, sampling and field property measurement tools for different soil profiles [B6]
- Create an idealized soil profile for analysis and design from collected soil properties [B6]
- Evaluate laboratory and field data to select appropriate parameters to use in foundation analysis [B5]
- Determine the lateral loads from soils [B2]
- Design earth retaining structures [B4]
- Apply shallow and deep bearing capacity and settlement equations for design with appli-cable correction factors with a consideration of water effects and layering [B2]
- Evaluate slope stability of natural and man-made excavations (fills and excavations) under varying conditions [B5]
| Workload | Hrs |
|---|---|
| Course Readings | 25 |
| Field Trips/Visits | 2 |
| Exams/Quizzes | 42 |
| Report on a Topic | 15 |
| Case Study Analysis | 15 |
| Demonstration | 10 |