Soil Engineering: Fundamentals and Applications

After participating in this course, you will be able to:

• Apply your comprehensive understanding of soil behaviour and many of the basic concepts of soil engineering, thereby increasing your effectiveness on your projects where earthworks and foundations are involved
• appreciate the design of slope stability, pavement sub-grades, and the use of geo-synthetics with appropriate consideration of the importance of water in soils, soil settlement and frost action
• distinguish between the strength of soils when either impacted by water or not
• act knowledgeably regarding mechanical stabilization, earthwork and compaction
• follow the subsurface investigation procedures that you learn in the course

Description
Most engineers with responsibility for construction work need an understanding of different soils and how they behave. The depth of the required understanding need not be equal to that of geotechnical engineers, who must use extensive experience, theory and research in design. However, to be effective, non-geotechnical engineers need a comprehensive understanding of basic concepts to gain confidence in dealing with various soils and geotechnical-related problems that they encounter on engineering projects. 

This course is designed so that participants can better understand soil behaviour and learn about soil problems and their solutions from specialists.

Who Should Attend
Civil, Municipal, Structural and Construction Engineers • Consulting Engineers • Plans Review Personnel in Municipalities • Public Works Professionals • Plant Engineers who are involved with Structures, Infrastructure or Equipment Foundations • Architects • Technicians and Specialists • Geologists and Earth Scientists • Environmental Engineers Who Want To Understand Soil • Sales Personnel Who Have Equipment or Products to Solve Soils Problems.

The course will be of great value both for those who are new to soils as well as for those who have had experience with soil problems.

Welcome, Introduction, Course Preview, Learning Outcomes and Assessment Methods

Basic Soil Engineering Concepts

• Nature of soils
• Particle size distribution
• Soil classification
• Stresses in soil
• Shallow foundations

Water in Soils

• Permeability and capillary flow
• Groundwater flow in soils
• Controlling groundwater in construction
• Effective drainage and the use of filters

Soil Strengths

• Measurement of soil strength
• Water in soils
• How do soils support loads

Settlement and Slope Stability

• Settlement: causes of settlements, allowable amounts of settlement
• Slope instability: slope failure types and causes, determination of slope stability and safety, groundwater effects, slope stabilization techniques

Lateral Earth Pressure on Walls and Underground Structures

• Lateral earth pressure
• Shear strength
• Earth pressure coefficients
• Retaining walls
• Excavation support

Modification of Soils in Place

• Why do we modify/improve soils?
• Compaction
• Laboratory test procedures
• Specifications for construction
• Additional modification techniques

Earthworks

• Changing grades in construction
• Working in trenches
• Safety in trenches
• Practical details of construction

Soil Identification Workshop

• Field identification of soil samples

Pavements, Sub-grades and Frost

• Drainage of pavements
• Geo-synthetics in construction
• Erosion control
• Frost action on sub-grades

Subsurface Investigations

• Planning and methods of investigations
• How much and what specific information is required?
• Understanding and interpreting geotechnical reports

Soil Engineering Horror Stories

• Real-life examples of soil problems

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

Concluding Remarks and Final Adjournment