CIEG 320: Soil Mechanics (3 credits) General Course Description In this course the student is introduced to the following topics: Soil properties Soil-water interaction Stresses in soil Two-dimensional flow through soil Soil compressibility Shear strength Lateral earth pressures The course consists of lecture material where the basic ideas are developed, problem sets that illustrate simple concepts, and examinations that measure a student s mastery of the subject matter. General Information Time offered : 2:00 3:15 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays Location : Room 004 Kirkbride Hall. Prerequisite : CIEG 212 (Solid Mechanics) Corequisite : CIEG 323 (Soil Mechanics Laboratory) Instructor : V. N. Kaliakin, Associate Professor office : room 360F in P.S. DuPont Hall hours : TBA and by appointment voice : 302.831.2409; FAX: 302.831.3640 e-mail : kaliakin@udel.edu www : http://www.ce.udel.edu/faculty/kaliakin Teaching Assistant TBA office :??? hours : TBA e-mail :??? V. N. Kaliakin 1 Fall Semester, 2011
Required Textbook Principles of Geotechnical Engineering, 7 th edition, by Braja M. Das, Stamford, CT: Cengage Learning (2010), 666 pages. NOTE: the majority of the homework problems shall be taken from the textbook. Class Information on World Wide Web CIEG 320 class home page: http://www.ce.udel.edu/faculty/kaliakin/cieg_320.html CIEG 320 class syllabus (PDF file): http://www.ce.udel.edu/faculty/kaliakin/cieg_320_syllabus.pdf CIEG 320 Lecture Summary (updated after every lecture): http://www.ce.udel.edu/faculty/kaliakin/cieg_320_lectures.html CIEG 320 List of Homework Assignments (updated every time homework is assigned): http://www.ce.udel.edu/faculty/kaliakin/cieg_320_hw.html CIEG 323 (Soil Mechanics Laboratory) class home page: http://www.ce.udel.edu/faculty/kaliakin/cieg_323.html V. N. Kaliakin 2 Fall Semester, 2011
Course Content and Pertinent Chapters University of Delaware The following general topics will be covered in class lectures. The associated reading in the textbook is listed in square brackets [ ]. Introduction; Basic definitions; Overview of historical perspective on Geotechnical engineering. [Chapter 1] Origin of soil and grain size. [Chapter 2] Weight-Volume relationships. [Chapter 3] Plasticity and structure of soil. [Chapter 4] Classification of soil. [Chapter 5] Soil compaction. [Chapter 6] Permeability. [Chapter 7] Seepage. [Chapter 8] In situ stresses. [Chapter 9] Stresses in a soil mass. [Chapter 10] Compressibility of soil. [Chapter 11] Shear strength of soil. [Chapter 12] Lateral earth pressure. [Sections 13.1 to 13.3] V. N. Kaliakin 3 Fall Semester, 2011
Attendance Policy Although the course largely follows the textbook, certain topics are presented that will not necessarily be covered in detail within the textbook. Consequently, students are expected to attend all lectures. The only valid reasons for missing a lecture are poor health, observance of religious holidays, or excused absences related to field trips, participation in intercollegiate sporting events, etc. Grading Homework 20% 75-minute examination #1 20% 75-minute examination #2 20% Final examination 40% NOTE: While no fixed percentages are typically assigned to a particular letter grade, students earning less than 55% of the overall possible points will earn a failing grade (F). Homework Policy All homework should be submitted on engineering paper, with proper reference given to the equations used in obtaining the solution. Include all calculations used to arrive at an answer. Neatness and a professional style of presentation are expected. Homework assignments will generally be due one-week after being assigned. They are to be turned in at the beginning of the class period on the due date specified for the particular assignment. Late homework will not be accepted without prior approval of the instructor. The homework problems will be graded and the solution shall be posted once the grading is completed. Scores received on a given homework assignment can be discussed for only one week following the day the assignment is returned. Policy Concerning 75-Minute Examinations The 75-minute examinations will be closed book. One double-sided page of formulas will be permitted. The 75-minute examinations cannot be made up. If a student misses a 75-minute examination, a grade of zero (0) will be assigned as the score for that exam. If, however, this exam is missed for an exceptional (and legitimate) reason, the average of the score earned on the other 75-minute examination and on the final exam will be substituted for the missed exam. V. N. Kaliakin 4 Fall Semester, 2011
Academic Honesty Quoting the University of Delaware Code of Conduct: All students must be honest and forthright in their academic studies. To falsify the results of one s research, to steal the words or ideas of another, to cheat on an assignment, or to allow or assist another to commit these acts corrupts the educational process. Students are expected to do their own work and neither give nor receive unauthorized assistance. Further details are available at the following URL: http://www.udel.edu/stuguide/10-11/code.html Policy for Listeners In order to receive a grade of L, listeners must attend all lectures. The only exceptions are excused (for legitimate reasons of course) absences. Cell Phone Policy Interruptions of class due to ringing cellular phones are unacceptable. Students possessing such phones must thus turn off the ringer before entering class. V. N. Kaliakin 5 Fall Semester, 2011
Some General Definitions An element is a substance that cannot be separated into simpler forms of matter by ordinary chemical means. A compound is formed by chemically combining two or more elements. Examples include: water (H 2 O), salt (NaCl), quartz (one of the most common compounds in the earth s crust)(sio 2 ). A mineral is a naturally occurring solid chemical substance. Mechanics is the branch of physics concerned with the behavior of physical bodies when subjected to forces or displacements, and the subsequent effects of the bodies on their environment. Geology is the science of the physical matter and energy that constitute the earth. In particular, geology encompasses the study of the composition, structure, properties, and history of the planet's physical material, the processes (involving temperature and pressure) by which it is formed, moved, and changed, the history of life on Earth, and human interactions with the Earth. In geology, rock or stone is a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals. Rocks have very strong internal cohesive and molecular forces that hold the constituent mineral grains together. The Earth's outer solid layer (the lithosphere) is made of rock. In general rocks are of three types, namely, igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic. Soil is a natural body consisting of layers of mineral constituents of variable thicknesses that differ from the parent materials in their morphological, physical, chemical, and mineralogical characteristics. It is composed of particles of broken rock that have been altered by chemical and environmental processes that include weathering and erosion. Pedogenesis is the process by which soil is created; i.e., soil evolution. The precise manner in which soil is formed is influenced by the following factors: parent material, regional climate, topography, and the passage of time. Soil Science is the study of soil as a natural resource on the surface on the earth s surface. This includes soil formation, classification and mapping, as well as the physical, chemical, biological and fertility properties of the soil. Pedology is the study of soils in their natural environment. It is one of two main branches of soil science, the other being edaphology. Pedology deals with pedogenesis, soil morphology (the field observable attributes of the soil), and soil classification, while edaphology studies the way soils influence plants, fungi, and other living things. V. N. Kaliakin 6 Fall Semester, 2011
Engineering Geology is the application of the geologic sciences to engineering practice for the purpose of assuring that the geologic factors affecting the location, design, construction, operation and maintenance of engineering works are recognized and adequately provided for. Geomechanics is the geologic study of the behavior of soil and rock. The two main disciplines of geomechanics are soil mechanics and rock mechanics. Soil mechanics is a discipline that applies principles of engineering mechanics (e.g. kinematics, dynamics, fluid mechanics, and mechanics of materials) to predict the mechanical behavior of soils. Soil mechanics deals with the behavior of soil from a small scale to a landslide scale. Together with rock mechanics, it is the basis for solving many engineering problems in geotechnical engineering, geophysical engineering and engineering geology. Rock mechanics is the theoretical and applied science of the mechanical behavior of rock and rock masses; it is that branch of mechanics concerned with the response of rock and rock masses to the force fields of their physical environment. Rock mechanics deals with issues in geosciences related to rock mass characterization and rock mass mechanics, such as applied to tunnel design, rock breakage, and rock drilling. Geotechnical engineering is the branch of civil engineering concerned with the engineering behavior of earth materials. Geotechnical engineering includes the following tasks: o Investigation of existing subsurface conditions and materials. o Determination of the relevant physical/mechanical and chemical properties of these materials. o Evaluation of the stability of natural slopes and man-made soil deposits. o Assessment of risks posed by site conditions. o Design of earthworks and structural foundations. o Monitoring site conditions, earthwork and foundation construction. The fields of geotechnical engineering and engineering geology are closely related, and have large areas of overlap. However, the field of geotechnical engineering is a specialty of engineering, where the field of engineering geology is a specialty of geology. V. N. Kaliakin 7 Fall Semester, 2011
Some Commonly Used Acronyms AASHTO = American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. ASCE = American Society of Civil Engineers. ASTM = American Society for Testing and Materials. ISSMFE = International Society for Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering. ISSMGE = International Society for Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering. USBR = United States Bureau of Reclamation. USCS = Unified Soil Classification System. USDA = United States Department of Agriculture. Some Books on Soil Mechanics Fundamentals of Soil Behavior, by J. K. Mitchell, J. Wiley and Sons, Inc., New York, 1976. Soil Mechanics in Engineering Practice (2nd edition), by K. Terzaghi, and R. B. Peck, J. Wiley and Sons, Inc., New York, 1967. An Introduction to Geotechnical Engineering, 2 nd edition by R. D. Holtz, W. D. Kovacs, and T. C. Sheahan, Pearson Education Inc., New Jersey, 2011. V. N. Kaliakin 8 Fall Semester, 2011