CE 38300 – Geotechnical Engineering I

Credits and contact hours:

Specific course information:

Catalog description: Introduction to the nature and origin of soils and rocks; engineering significance of geologic landforms and soil deposits; identification and engineering classification of soils; engineering behavior and properties of soils, soil compaction, hydraulic conductivity, compressibility and shearing resistance.
Prerequisites: Undergraduate level CE 340 (Hydraulics) Minimum Grade of C - [may be taken concurrently]
Course status: Technical elective, breadth course

Specific Goals for the course:

Student learning outcomes - Upon successful completion of this course the student shall be able to:
- Understand how soils and rocks are formed.
- Classify soils and understand how important soil characteristics influence their response to loading.
- Plan compaction quality control for embankment and road construction.
- Estimate properties (shear strength, stiffness, coefficient of consolidation, hydraulic conductivity) for use in design of soil structures.
- Solve basic groundwater flow boundary value problems.
- Solve one-dimensional consolidation and compression problems.
Relationship of course to program outcomes
- Outcome 1: An ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics.
- Outcome 5: An ability to function effectively on a team whose members together provide leadership, create a collaborative and inclusive environment, establish goals, plan tasks, and meet objectives.
- Outcome 6: An ability to develop and perform appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgement to draw conclusions.

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