Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Fundamentals for Engineering Practice

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

• Apply fundamental soil mechanics principles to assess common geotechnical issues in engineering projects
• Select appropriate subsurface investigation methods and laboratory tests based on project conditions
• Interpret geotechnical information to support foundation, earthworks, and construction decisions
• Evaluate settlement, groundwater, and retaining wall considerations in practical engineering contexts
• Identify geotechnical risks and apply appropriate mitigation strategies during design and construction

Description

Subsurface conditions can have a direct impact on the safety, performance, cost, and constructability of engineering projects. Even when you are not working as a geotechnical specialist, you may still need to recognize how soil behaviour, groundwater, settlement, and slope stability affect design decisions, construction planning, and long-term project performance.

This course gives you a practical foundation in soil mechanics and applied geotechnical engineering so you can engage more effectively with geotechnical reports, investigations, and site-related design considerations. You will examine key concepts such as soil classification, effective stress, permeability, consolidation, shear strength, subsurface investigations, shallow foundations, and slope stability.

Through applied examples and case-based discussion, you will strengthen your ability to identify potential geotechnical challenges, ask better technical questions, and make more informed decisions when working on projects involving earthworks, foundations, pavement subgrades, retaining structures, and complex subsurface conditions.

Who This Course Is For

This course is designed for:

• Civil engineers, structural engineers, and construction engineers
• Designers, project engineers, and engineering managers involved in infrastructure or building projects
• Construction managers and general contractors working with earthworks, foundations, or subsoil conditions
• Technologists and technicians seeking a stronger understanding of applied geotechnical concepts
• Technical professionals who review geotechnical reports or coordinate with geotechnical specialists
• Early-career through experienced practitioners who want to improve their ability to recognize and manage soil-related project risks

Day I: Soil Mechanics: Fundamentals

Basic Soil Mechanics Concepts

• Nature of soil, grain size distributions
• Soil composition
• Soil classification

Water in Soils: Permeability and Seepage

• Groundwater flow in soils
• Estimating the rate of flow
• Effective drainage and the use of filters
• Flow control

Stress in Soil:

• Stress in soil: geostatic stress, effective stress,
• Load distribution and induced stress
• Consequences of change in effective stress

Day II: Geotechnical Engineering: Applications

Stress in Soil and Soil Settlement:

• Immediate settlement
• Consolidation: time dependency, Oedometer tests, settlement calculations, effects of over consolidation

Shear Strength of Soils

• Measurement of soil strength
• Drained and undrained deformation
• Strength anisotropy
• Mohr-coulomb failure criteria, ‘Clays’ vs ‘Sands’

Subsurface Investigations

• Scope of work
• Available information and objectives
• Planning and methods of investigations: SPT, CPT and VST
• Understanding and interpreting geotechnical reports

Questions and Answers and Feedback to Participants on Achievement of Learning Outcomes

Concluding Remarks and Final Adjournment