Geotechnical Engineering

Instructor Information

• Instructor: Dr. Olivia Hart (Assistant Professor of Civil & Environmental Engineering)
• Email: ohart@university.alkimi.ai
• Office: Rowan Engineering Center 310
• Office Hours:
  • Monday & Wednesday: 3:30–5:00 p.m. (In person, Rowan Engineering Center 310)
  • Friday: 10:00–11:00 a.m. (Virtual via Zoom; link posted in Canvas)
  • Also available by appointment.

Course Description

Soil classification, compaction, permeability and seepage, effective stress, consolidation, shear strength, and bearing capacity, with a weekly three-hour soils laboratory. CE 310 investigates the engineering mechanics and index properties of soil as an engineering construction material and foundation medium. Students examine soil phase relationships, particle size distribution, plasticity, Darcy's law for seepage, the principle of effective stress, one-dimensional consolidation settlement, and Mohr-Coulomb shear strength. Through extensive hands-on laboratory testing adhering to ASTM standards, students characterize native soils, evaluate field compaction, and perform geotechnical analyses for shallow foundations and retaining structures.

Prerequisites

CE 202 and CE 210.

Measurable Student Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of CE 310, students will be able to:

1. Classify Soils for Engineering: Perform phase-relationship calculations, evaluate grain size curves and Atterberg limits, and classify soils using the Unified Soil Classification System (USCS) and AASHTO methods.
2. Evaluate Seepage and Flow Nets: Apply Darcy's law, determine hydraulic conductivity via constant-head and falling-head methods, sketch flow nets, and calculate seepage discharge, uplift pressure, and piping safety factors.
3. Compute Effective Stress and Consolidation: Calculate geostatic total stresses, pore water pressures, and effective stresses, and predict primary consolidation settlement magnitude and time-rate using Terzaghi's 1D theory.
4. Determine Soil Shear Strength: Interpret direct shear, unconfined compression, and triaxial shear test data to establish drained and undrained Mohr-Coulomb shear strength parameters (c and phi).
5. Design Geotechnical Foundations: Calculate lateral earth pressures on retaining walls and determine the ultimate and allowable bearing capacities of shallow foundations using Terzaghi and Meyerhof formulations.

Required Course Materials & Approximate Costs

1. Das, Braja M., and Khaled Sobhan. Principles of Geotechnical Engineering. 9th ed., Cengage Learning, 2018. Approx. $85 digital rental ($195 purchase; reserve copies available in Alkimi Library).
2. Laboratory manual and ASTM Geotechnical Standards (provided electronically on Canvas); personal PPE (ANSI Z87 safety glasses and lab coat). Approx. $20 for personal protective equipment.
3. Total estimated cost: Approx. $20 (PPE with library reserve book) to $105 (rental plus PPE).

Generative AI Policy (AI Level 2: AI Permitted with Disclosure for Specified Tasks)

In accordance with Alkimi University Academic Policies (Student Handbook §5.8), CE 310 operates under AI Level 2.

• What is permitted: Students may consult approved AI tools to assist in writing Python, MATLAB, or spreadsheet scripts for laboratory data reduction (such as fitting consolidation curves or plotting Mohr circles) and exploring ASTM standard testing terminology.
• What is prohibited: Generative AI must not be used to author geotechnical laboratory discussion sections, generate soil classification solutions, or calculate foundation settlement and bearing capacity on graded problem sets. No AI assistants or external digital resources are permitted during exams.
• Disclosure: All submitted laboratory reports and geotechnical design project calculations must include an AI disclosure note stating which tools were consulted, reproducing the exact prompt, and explaining the engineering checks applied to verify calculation results.

Grading Components and Weights

• Weekly Problem Sets: 10% (Due Wednesdays at 11:59 p.m. in Canvas (weeks 2–14; lowest dropped))
• Laboratory Experiments & ASTM Reports: 25% (Conducted in Thursday lab sessions; formal reports due following Sunday at 11:59 p.m. in Canvas (lowest dropped))
• Geotechnical Site Investigation & Foundation Design Project: 15% (Due Friday, November 20 at 11:59 p.m.)
• Midterm Exam 1 (Classification, Permeability & Seepage): 15% (In class, Friday, October 2)
• Midterm Exam 2 (Effective Stress, Consolidation & Shear Strength): 15% (In class, Friday, November 6)
• Comprehensive Final Examination: 20% (Tuesday, December 15, 2026, 10:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.)

Grading Scale (Alkimi University Standard)

• A: 93–100% | A-: 90–92%
• B+: 87–89% | B: 83–86% | B-: 80–82%
• C+: 77–79% | C: 73–76% | C-: 70–72%
• D+: 67–69% | D: 60–66% | F: Below 60%
• Extra credit: No individual extra credit assignments are offered in CE 310.

Course Schedule (Fall 2026)

Course Policies

Attendance Policy

Class attendance at lectures and the weekly geotechnical laboratory session is mandatory. Soil mechanics experiments require strict adherence to ASTM protocols, soil specimen preparation, and bench equipment safety in Rowan Engineering Center 150. If an unavoidable absence arises due to illness or approved university events, notify Dr. Hart prior to the session. Students who miss the first two class meetings without notifying the instructor may be dropped. Students may miss class for religious observance without penalty if they notify the instructor in writing within the first two weeks of the semester (by Wednesday, September 9, 2026). Absences for university-sponsored activities (athletics, performances, conferences) are excused with a letter from the sponsoring office at least one week in advance.

Late Work Policy

Homework problem sets submitted past the deadline will receive a 15% penalty per 24 hours, accepted up to 48 hours late. Laboratory reports submitted after Sunday 11:59 p.m. will incur a 10% deduction per day. The lowest homework score and lowest lab report score are dropped to account for unanticipated emergencies.

Final Exam Policy

The final examination (Tuesday, December 15, 2026, 10:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.) is scheduled by the University Registrar and can't be moved without the Dean's written approval (Faculty Handbook §5.5). A student with three or more final exams on the same calendar day may reschedule one of them. Requests go to the instructor of the middle exam by the last day of classes. For this term, send the request by Wednesday, December 9, 2026 (Student Handbook §6.4).