This course will introduce you to the engineering properties of soil and rock. You will learn how the properties of compaction, permeability, consolidation-swell, shear strength, stress-strain modulus (modulus of elasticity), and Poisson’s ratio are determined and used in design of foundations of structures. You will learn about the compaction characteristics of soils, how the relative density of cohesionless soils influences the angle of internal friction, the definition of relative compaction of soils, and many other concepts that are the basis of applying the engineering properties of soil and rock to design of foundations of buildings and earth structures. Course Outline 1. Scope 2. Compaction Characteristics of Soil 3. Density of Cohesionless Soil 4. Permeability 5. Consolidation 6. Swelling, Shrinkage and Collapsibility 7. Shear Strength of Soils 8. Elastic Properties 9. Modulus of Subgrade Reaction 10. Coefficient of At-Rest Earth Pressure

Learning Objectives

• Learn about the compaction characteristics of soils.
• Learn about the Standard Compaction Test and the Fifteen-Blow Compaction Test.
• Learn about the relationship between relative density and in-situ dry density for cohesionless soils.
• Learn about the relationship between the angle of internal friction, dry unit weight, and relative density for coarse-grained soils.
• Learn a method for estimating minimum and maximum void ratios from gradation and particle shape characteristics.
• Learn about the permeability characteristics of soils and methods for their determination.
• Learn the definition of the Compression Index.
• Learn the relationship between deformation (strain) and stress as expressed by the Coefficient of Volume Compressibility.
• Learn the approximate relationship between Liquidity Index and effective overburden pressure as a function of soil sensitivity.
• Learn how to make gross estimates of site preconsolidation.
• Learn the relationship between Swelling Index, Void Ratio from which rebound occurs, and Liquid Limit.
• Learn about the effects of remolding.
• Learn about swelling, shrinkage and collapsibility.
• Learn the equations for shear strength of soils.
• Learn how to estimate the underdrained modulus of clay.