UNION COLLEGE

Civil & Environmental Engineering Department

Fall 2025

Soil Mechanics

CEE-333

Lectures: T&Th 10:55 - 12:40 PM, Olin-306. Labs: T 1:55 - 4:45 PM, Olin-306.

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course will introduce the civil engineering students to the behavior of soils when subjected to different loading conditions. The course will explore the natural characteristics, methods of classification, and testing of soils as an engineering material. The utilized methods of testing are those standardized by the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM). Basic topics covered within the framework of this course are soil exploration, composition, permeability, compaction, compressibility, shear strength and stresses within a soil mass, slope stability, and environmental geotechnology..

COURSE GRADE

• Assignments & Quizzes = 25%
• Laboratory Reports = 25%
• Term Test (Th, 6th week) = 25%
• Final Examination = 25%

NOTES

• Attendance of exams is mandatory.
• If you must miss the midterm test due to extraordinary circumstances beyond your control (a letter from the Dean of Students will be required in this case), your 25 points of the midterm test will be automatically transferred to the final exam, i.e., your final will be graded out of 50 points. No makeup for the midterm test will be allowed for any reason. If you miss the midterm without a supporting letter from the Dean of Students, there will be 5 points penalty, i.e, the maximum score you can earn in your final exam is 45/50.
• If you must miss the final exam due to extraordinary circumstances beyond your control (a letter from the Dean of Students will be required in this case), your grade in the course will be prorated based on the components of your term work. No makeup for the final exam will be allowed for any reason.
• Students are randomly selected to participate in class discussion. If you are unprepared or absent without documentation (a formal note from a doctor, nurse, coach, dean of students, etc.), this will impact participation credit.
• Due date for assigned course work will be announced in class. Late submission is assessed at -1 point per day or part thereof.
• The academic performance of the students in this course will be held to the standards of Union College's Honor Code.
• Students with disabilities will be accommodated as per Union College's Policy.

TEXTBOOK

• Das, B.M. (2022). "Principles of Geotechnical Engineering" Tenth Edition, Cengage Learning. ISBN: 9780357616956.

1.         Soils and Rocks
            1.1       Rock Cycle and the Origin of Soil
            1.2       Soil Particles
            1.3       Clay Minerals
            1.4       Mechanical Analysis of Soil
            1.5       Effective Size, Uniformity Coefficient, and Coefficient of Gradation

2.         Soil Composition
            2.1       Weight-Volume Relationships
            2.2       Unit Weight, Void Ratio, Moisture Content, and Specific Gravity Relationships
            2.3       Unit Weight, Porosity, and Moisture Content Relationships
            2.4       Relative Density
            2.5       Consistency of Soils
            2.6       Unified Soil Classification System

3.         Soil Compaction
            3.1       General Principles
            3.2       Standard Proctor Test
            3.3       Factors Affecting Compaction
            3.4       Modified Proctor Test
            3.5       ASTM and AASHTO Specifications for Compaction Test
            3.6       Structure of Compacted Cohesive Soil
            3.7       Effect of Compaction on Cohesive Soil Properties
            3.8       Field Compaction
            3.9       Specifications for Field Compaction
            3.10     Determination of Field Unit Weight of Compaction
            3.11     Special Compaction Techniques

4.         Flow of Water in Soil: Permeability and Seepage
            4.1       Hydraulic Gradient
            4.2       Darcy's Law
            4.3       Coefficient of Permeability
            4.4       Laboratory Determination of the Coefficient of Permeability
            4.5       Effect of Temperature on Coefficient of Permeability
            4.6       Equivalent Permeability in Stratified Soils
            4.7       Permeability Test in Field by Pumping From Wells
            4.8       Coefficient of Permeability from Auger Holes
            4.9       Equation of Continuity
            4.10     Flow Nets
            4.11     Uplift Pressure under Hydraulic Structures

5.         Effective Stress Concept
            5.1       Stresses in Saturated Soil without Seepage
            5.2       Stresses in Saturated Soil with Seepage
            5.3       Seepage Force
            5.4       Heaving in Soil due to Flow around Sheet Piles
            5.5       Effective Stress in Partially Saturated Soil
            5.6       Capillary Rise in Soil
            5.7       Effective Stress in the Zone of the Capillary Rise

6.         Stresses in a Soil Mass
            6.1       Normal and Shear Stress along a Plane
            6.2       The Pole Method of Finding Stresses along a Plane
            6.3       Mohr-Coulomb Failure Criteria
            6.4       Determination of Shear Strength Parameters for Soils in the Laboratory
            6.5       Triaxial Shear Test
            6.6       Unconfined Compression Test of Saturated Clay
            6.7       Sensitivity and Thixotropy of Clay

7.         Compressibility of Soil
            7.1       Fundamentals of Consolidation
            7.2       One-Dimensional Laboratory Consolidation Test
            7.3       Void Ratio Pressure Plots
            7.4       Normally Consolidated and Overconsolidated Clays
            7.5       Effect of Disturbance on Void Ratio-Pressure Relationship
            7.6       Influence of Other Factors on e-log p Relationship
            7.7       Calculation of Settlement due to One-Dimensional Primary Consolidation
            7.8       Compression Index
            7.9       Swell Index
            7.10     Settlement due to Secondary Consolidation
            7.11     Time Rate of Consolidation
            7.12     Coefficient of Consolidation

8.         Slope Stability
            8.1       Factor of Safety
            8.2       Stability of Infinite Slopes without Seepage
            8.3       Stability of Infinite Slopes with Seepage
            8.4       Finite Slopes
            8.5       Analysis of Finite Slope with Circularly Cylindrical Failure Surface
            8.6       Method of Slices

9.         Environmental Geotechnology
            9.1       Landfill Liners-Overview
            9.2       Geosynthetics, Geotextiles, Geomembranes, and Geonets
            9.3       Single Clay Liner and Single Geomembrane Liner Systems
            9.4       Recent Advances in the Liner Systems for Landfills

10.       Soil Exploration
            10.1     Common Methods of Sampling

LABORATORY SCHEDULE
The following are the tests planned for this course:

Lab (1):      Grain size distribution of granular soils (for soil classification).
Lab (2):      Atterberg limits of cohesive soils (clay).
Lab (3):      Moisture-density relations of soils (compaction test).
Lab (4):      Permeability of granular soils (constant head)
Lab (5):      Unconfined compressive strength of cohesive soil.
Lab (6):      Direct shear test of soils under consolidated drained conditions.
Lab (7):      One-dimensional consolidation properties of soils.
Lab (8):      Unconsolidated, undrained compressive strength of cohesive soils in triaxial compression.
Lab (9):      Slope stability.
Lab (10):    Environmental geotechnology.

SPECIFICATIONS OF LAB REPORT

Students will work in randomly divided groups. Groups are to submit lab reports showing their specific test results. All group members will receive the same grade, therefore it is the group members' collective responsibility to contribute to the effort of report preparation. Any student in any group who wishes to submit his/her own lab report is free to do so and will be graded independently. The lab report shall include a cover page with the names of all partners in the group, course and test titles, and date. The report itself shall contain the objective of the test, procedure, a sketch of equipment used, tables of data recorded, presentation of results in charts and graphs, and conclusions. The report should emphasize the technical aspect of the test. Emphasis of grading will be placed on the technical content of the report as well as clarity, creativity, and correctness of writing. Remember, this course is worth a W1 credit, therefore your work should be a true reflection of the credit you are getting.

STUDENTS TAKE AWAY

• Students will develop an understanding and appreciation of the physical and mechanical properties of soils used to support foundations in civil engineering projects.
• Students will learn how to use soil properties and characteristics to determine the most proper foundation system to support a certain structure.
• Students will understand that soils have limitations and are impacted by natural factors under service conditions. This will help students comprehend that adverse service conditions should be considered in the design to ensure that such conditions will not compromise the stability of structures.
• Students will learn that weak natural soils could be improved with artificial processes to enhance their field performance throughout the service life of the supported structures.
• Students will learn geo-environmental aspects related to design of waste containment facilities in addition to methods of remediation of soil contamination due to toxic or hazardous waste.

RELATIONSHIP OF COURSE TO ABET PROGRAM OUTCOMES

• an ability to apply knowledge of mathematics, science and engineering.
• ability to design and conduct experiments, as well as to analyze and interpret data.
• ability to design a system, component or process to meet desired needs within realistic constraints such as economic, environmental, social, political, ethical, health and safety, manufacturability and sustainability.
• an ability to identify, formulate and solve engineering problems.
  
• an ability to communicate effectively.
• a recognition of the need for and ability to engage in life-long learning knowledge of contemporary issues.
• an ability to use techniques, skills and modern engineering tools necessary for engineering practice.

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