SOIL MECHANICS

Prerequisites & course information

Requisites: E M A 303 or M E 306, graduate/professional standing, or member of Engineering Guest Students Course Designation: Core GenEd - Natural Science & Wellness + Lab Grad 50% - Counts toward 50% graduate coursework requirement Repeatable for Credit: No Last Taught: Fall 2026 Learning Outcomes: 1. Describe the physicochemical characteristics of soils and their importance to the engineering behavior of soils. Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 2. Define the factors which control the physical, mechanical and hydraulic behavior of soils. Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 3. Run the laboratory tests used for the determination of physicochemical properties of soils, the engineering classification of soils, hydraulic properties, and the stiffness and shear strength properties. Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 4. Perform analyses in each area described in the course and understand the limitations to these analyses. Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 5. List basic problems in Soil Mechanics design and describe how these problems are tackled. Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 6. Experimentally assess the interaction of multiple parameters controlling the physical, mechanical and hydraulic behavior of soils; perform more advanced 2D or 3D analyses in one area described in the course and understand the limitations of these analyses; or summarize the state of the art in one research or engineering-applied area described in the course. Audience: Graduate Learning Outcomes: 1. Describe the physicochemical characteristics of soils and their importance to the engineering behavior of soils. Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 2. Define the factors which control the physical, mechanical and hydraulic behavior of soils. Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 3. Run the laboratory tests used for the determination of physicochemical properties of soils, the engineering classification of soils, hydraulic properties, and the stiffness and shear strength properties. Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 4. Perform analyses in each area described in the course and understand the limitations to these analyses. Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 5. List basic problems in Soil Mechanics design and describe how these problems are tackled. Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 6. Experimentally assess the interaction of multiple parameters controlling the physical, mechanical and hydraulic behavior of soils; perform more advanced 2D or 3D analyses in one area described in the course and understand the limitations of these analyses; or summarize the state of the art in one research or engineering-applied area described in the course. Audience: Graduate