Fundamentals of Geotechnical Engineering

Explore how weathering forms soil deposits and how transport processes create alluvial, glacial, wind-deposited, and organic soils, then apply sieve and hydrometer analyses to obtain particle-size distributions.

Explore weight–volume relations, void ratio, porosity, and degree of saturation with moisture content and dry unit weight; classify soils by liquid limit, plasticity index, and unified and older schemes.

Explore soil compaction, optimize optimal moisture content and maximum dry weight via standard and modified Proctor tests, and assess field density with rollers, sand cone, or nuclear methods.

Explore the effective stress concept in multiphase soils, linking total stress, pore water pressure, and soil skeleton forces. Use simple equations to estimate foundation stresses and settlement.

Explore the fundamentals of consolidation in soils, including immediate, primary, and secondary settlements, pore water pressure, drainage, and one-dimensional test methods.

Learn how soil shear strength arises from cohesion and normal stress, and how direct shear and consolidated tests reveal effective stress and pore pressure effects on stability.

Analyze slope stability by evaluating shear stress versus soil strength, compute the factor of safety from cohesion and friction, and apply slice-based methods to prevent slope failure.

Identify subsurface layers and their properties to determine foundation depth, bearing capacity, settlement, and potential problems, and document site data, boreholes, standard penetration test results, and water table.

This lecture explains shallow foundations that transfer loads to soil, preventing excessive settlement and shear failure. It compares footings, piles, and drill shafts and discusses bearing capacity.