Oct 18, 2024  
2024-2025 Undergraduate Academic Catalog-June 
    
Catalog Navigation
  Catalog Home
  Academic Calendar
  University Overview
  Admissions
  Student Financial Services
  Academic Regulations and Policies
  Degree Programs, Minors, and Certificates
  Degrees, Minors, and Certificates by Department
  Course Descriptions
  The Raider Core
  MSOE Honors Program
  Global Opportunities
  Reserve Officers’ Training Corps. (ROTC)
  Administration, Regents, and Advisory Committees
  Departments and Faculty
  Campus Map
  Student Resources
  My Portfolio
HELP
2024-2025 Undergraduate Academic Catalog-June
Facebook this Page (opens a new window)
Tweet this Page (opens a new window)
Add to Portfolio (opens a new window)

CVE 3301 - Principles of Soils and Geotechnical Engineering

2 lecture hours 2 lab hours 3 credits
Course Description
This course introduces students to fundamental principles of soil mechanics. Topics include elementary mass-volume relations for soils, soil types and classifications, soil compaction, geostatic stress distributions, shear strength under drained and undrained conditions, bearing capacity, settlement, and consolidation. The laboratory will cover test methods and interpretations of laboratory results for the determination of physical, mechanical, and hydraulic properties of soil.
Prereq: CAE 1871 , CAE 1872 , CAE 2512  (quarter system prereq: AE 1231, AE 2012)
Note: None
This course meets the following Raider Core CLO Requirement: None
Course Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:
  • Discuss sustainability within the context of geotechnical engineering
  • Conduct particle size analysis, determine Atterberg limits and use the results to classify soils per the USCS and AASHTO soil classification systems
  • Calculate various soil parameters using an understanding of a three-phase diagram
  • Calculate soil relative density and specify field compaction
  • Calculate the hydraulic conductivity of various soils
  • Calculate the total stress, pore water pressure, and effective stress at various points in the soil profile of a saturated soil without seepage
  • Explain the process of settlement and consolidation in both sandy and clay soils
  • Calculate the shear strength of cohesive and cohesionless soils
  • Demonstrate typical geotechnical engineering laboratory tests and explain the application of their results in civil engineering
  • Evaluate the results from a geotechnical report for use in various aspects of civil engineering
  • Design a solution to a geotechnical problem using soils data and known loadings considering elements of sustainability
Prerequisites by Topic
  • None
Course Topics
  • Sustainability in geotechnical engineering
  • Weight-volume relationships
  • Clay minerals and clay chemistry
  • Grain size analysis
  • Atterberg limits
  • Classification of soils (USCS and AASHTO)
  • Compaction
  • Water content and organic matter content
  • Permeability
  • Effective stress
  • Subsurface stress in soils
  • Relative density
  • Compressibility of soil
  • Proctor compaction test
  • Shear strength
  • Hydraulic conductivity test
  • Footings
  • Direct shear strength
  • Retaining walls
  • Soil sampling and investigation
  • Soil reports
  • Bridge pier foundation design
Laboratory Topics
  • Weekly hands-on exercises and interactive problem-solving sessions that reinforce the weekly lecture topics
Coordinator
Dr. William S. Gonwa, P.E.


Facebook this Page (opens a new window)
Tweet this Page (opens a new window)
Add to Portfolio (opens a new window)