Teaching

Course Curriculum

Undergraduate Courses

CE 3300 Geotechnical Engineering

Course Description

Provides a fundamental understanding of the engineering properties and mechanical behavior of soil materials and their main applications in geotechnical engineering practice.  Main course topics: soil classification, compaction, permeability, seepage, in-situ stresses, compressibility (consolidation), and shear strength.

Chapter 01 – Introduction - Rock cycle, Weathering, Origin of Soils, Clay mineralogy.

Chapter 02 - Phase Diagrams & Soil Classification - Weight-volume relationships, Specific gravity, moisture content, Grain size distribution, Stoke’s law, hydrometer analysis, Atterberg limits, Soil Classification Systems (USCS/IS).

Chapter 03 – Compaction - Compaction principles, Standard/modified compaction methods, factors affecting compaction, field compaction methods, factors affecting field compaction, specifications of field compaction.

Chapter 04 – Permeability - Bernoulli’s equation, Darcy’s law, Hydraulic conductivity, equivalent hydraulic conductivity in stratified and compacted soils.

Chapter 05 – Seepage - Laplace equation of continuity, Flow nets, Seepage calculations from flow nets, Uplift pressure under hydraulic structures, Seepage through an earth dam.

Chapter 06- In situ stresses - Effective stress principle; in situ stresses; stresses in saturated soil with upward and downward seepage; seepage force; capillary rise in soils.

 Chapter 07 - Stresses in Soil Mass - Stress state; Mohrs’ circle; stress due to point load line load, strip load, circular load, rectangular load, and embankment load; stress path.

Chapter 08-Compressibility and consolidation of soil - Immediate settlement; 1-D consolidation; normal and overconsolidated clays; primary consolidation settlement; rate of consolidation; secondary consolidation

Chapter 09-Shear strength of soils - Sources of shear strength; Mohr-Coulomb failure criterion; direct shear test; drained and undrained behavior of sands; triaxial test; CD, CU, and UU triaxial tests; drained and undrained behavior of clays; small-strain stiffness

Reference Text Books: 

  • Principles of Geotechnical Engineering by B. M. Das, Seventh Edition, Cengage Learning, 2010.
  • An Introduction to Geotechnical Engineering by R. D. Holtz, W. D. Kovacs and T. C. Sheahan, Second Edition, Pearson, Prentice Hall, 2011.

Other Readings: 

  • Geotechnical Engineering – Principles and Practices by Donald P. Coduto, PHI Learning Private Ltd., (Indian Edition), 2009.
  • Soil Mechanics and Foundations by Muni Budhu, 3rd Edition, Wiley, 2010.

CE 5300 Advanced Foundation Engineering

Course Description 

This course introduces the type of dynamic loads and fundamentals of vibrations and waves in a medium. Properties of soils under dynamic loading conditions will be discussed. The dynamic behavior of foundations and retaining structures under dynamic loading conditions will also be discussed. Earthquake and liquefaction phenomena are also discussed.

Tentative Lecture Topics:

Introduction -Fundamentals of Vibration; Single Degree of Freedom Systems; Free And Forced Vibrations; Damping- Elastic Stress Waves In A Bar; Equation of Motion In An Elastic Medium; Stress Waves In Elastic Half-Space; Laboratory Tests To Determine Dynamic Soil Properties; Field Test Measurements; Dynamic Behavior of Foundations, Ultimate Dynamic Bearing Capacity, Seismic Bearing Capacity And Settlement In Granular Soils-Dynamic Behavior of Retaining Walls; Liquefaction of Soils.

Reference Text Books: 

  • J. E. Bowles, “Foundation analysis and design”, 5th Ed., Mc Graw Hill
  • B. M. Das, “Principles of Foundation Engineering”, 6th Ed., Cengage Learning
  • R. Salgado, “The engineering of foundations”, 1st Ed., Mc Graw Hill
  • D. P. Coduto, M. R. Yeung, and W. A. Kitch “Foundation design- Principles and practices”, 2nd Ed., Prentice Hall
  • M. J. Tomlinson, “Foundation design and construction”, 7th Ed., Pearson Education

SE 5110 Sustainable Highway Infrastructure Design and Retrofitting

Course Description 

This course will introduce the basic aspects and importance of geotechnical engineering in pavement design and construction. The retrofitting and structural strengthening using FRP materials will also be included in detail:

The course equips participants with the knowledge of sustainable highway construction materials, including alternate/marginal aggregates, stabilized base and subbase materials, geosynthetic reinforcement, etc. The course will introduce FRP strengthening of structural components and its applications.  The course will be conducted as per the modules below:

  • Part 1
  • Introduction to highway construction materials
  • Engineering behavior of marginal aggregates and recycled materials
  • Methods of improving the engineering behavior of alternate materials.
  • Geosynthetics
  • Design aspects of highways with conventional and alternate materials, including geopolymer stabilized bases, geosynthetic-reinforced bases, and subbases.
  • Pavement evaluation and rehabilitation
  • Part 2
  • Introduction to Strengthening of Steel Structures
  • Detailed update on FRP Strengthening - Performance update
  • FRP - Steel: Structural Behaviour (bond and durability)
  • Flexural Strengthening - Steel beams
  • Flexural Strengthening - Steel-concrete composite beams
  • Design examples - Flexural Strengthening using low and high modulus FRP
  • Strengthening of Compression Members
  • Design examples - Column strengthening
  • FRP Strengthening of Structural members subjected to local buckling
  • Research Topics - Testing of FRP composites

Prerequisites:

Basic Soil Mechanics and Transportation Engineering-1 (Pavement materials and design) courses + Basic knowledge in Structural Engineering

Textbook:

There is no standard reference textbook available for this course. A series of handouts will be distributed during the lectures.