Soil Mecanics Syallabus

 

 

 

 

 

Pokhara University Faculty of Science and Technology
Course Code: GTE 252 (3 Credit)	Full Marks: 100
Course Title: Soil Mechanics (3-2-2)	Pass Mark: 45
Nature of the Course: Theory and Practical	Total Lectures: 45 hours
Level: Bachelor/ Year: II/ Semester: IV	Program: Bachelor of Civil Engineering

1. Course Description:

The course in Soil Mechanics is designed for the bachelor's degree in civil engineering. It is the first series in Geotechnical Engineering course and is a core course for civil engineering in every college/university across the globe. The course covers each and every aspect of soil mechanics starting from the origin of the soil, its phases, properties and behavior under different conditions, its strength to the slope stabilization techniques. The course mainly emphasizes the study of the physical properties of soils and the relevance of these properties as they affect soil strength, stability, drainage, etc.

2. General Objectives:

This course deals with the fundamental principles governing soil behavior, exploring critical geotechnical properties and various geotechnical applications. An understanding of these basic concepts enhances the ability of students for the design of foundations of structures, retaining walls, tunnels, excavations, earth fills, stability of earth slopes etc.

3. Methods of Instructions:

Lecture, Tutorial, Discussion, and Laboratory tests.

Specific Objectives	4. Course Contents
At the end of Unit 1, students will be able	Unit 1: Introduction to soil, its Phases, Properties, and Classification (8 hrs)
To know and explain about rock, soil, rock cycle. To define the soil and describe its formation process and types. To visualize the Phase structure of soil and to derive the functional relationships. To determine the different index properties of soil in laboratory To know and explain about the types of clay minerals To classify the soil using various systems based on the properties.	Origin of Rocks and Soils; Rock cycle Definition of soil, Soil formation process, and its types. Phase Diagram of Soil: Basic Definitions, Functional Relations Index Properties of soil and their determination: Density, Specific gravity and moisture content of soil, Particle shape and size, Grain Size Distribution: Sieve analysis and Hydrometer Analysis, Relative Density of Soil, Consistency Limit of Soil and their Indices, Clay minerals: Montmorillonite, Kaolinite, and Illite, and Soil Classification Systems (Particle size, Textural, USCS, ISCS, AASHTO)
At the end of Unit 2, students will be able	Unit 2: Compaction of Soil (5 hrs)
To define and know about the	2.1 Definition, and purpose of Compaction

definition and purpose of compaction in the field of civil engineering. To relate dry density with varying moisture content in soil in order to obtain compaction curve and its features. To conduct laboratory test to determine the compaction characteristics of soil. To analyze the factors affecting the compaction of soil. To apply the different methods of compaction based on the site condition. To determine different methods to determine field density. To describe the behavior of soil while compacted at dry of optimum and wet of optimum	Dry density and moisture content relationship Laboratory Compaction Tests Factors affecting compaction of soil Effects of compaction on the engineering behavior of soil Methods of Field Compaction Determination of field density: Core Cutter method, Sand Cone method, Rubber balloon method, Water displacement method Relative Compaction
At the end of Unit 3, students will be able	Unit 3: Permeability, Capillarity, Seepage, and Effective stress, (10 hrs)
To know the concept of permeability To determine coefficient of permeability of soil in laboratory and field as well. To calculate equivalent permeability of stratified soil. To know the concept of surface tension To know the concept of capillary rise through soil and to calculate capillary rise. To analyze the concept of quick sand condition and liquefaction while designing foundation. To analyze seepage through soil To analyze failure of an earthen structure through piping mechanism and to apply its preventive measures. To calculate effective stress in soil and its effects on the strength of soil.	Permeability, Darcy's law Laboratory and field determination of Permeability Surface tension and Capillary rise of water in soil Quick Sand Condition and Liquefaction Equivalent permeability in stratified soil Definition of Seepage, and Laplace equation for two-dimensional flow Introduction to flow net, their characteristics, applications, and analysis of seepage discharge Seepage through Earthen Dam, Concept and construction of Phreatic Line. Piping and its Preventive Measures Principles of Effective Stress and its effects on soil strength
At the end of Unit 4, students will be able	Unit 4: Stress Distribution on Soil below the Applied Vertical Load (6 hrs)
To calculate the vertical stress developed at any depth or at any radial	4.1 Concept of Stress Distribution on Soil, Boussinesq's and Westergaard's Theory

distances due to the load applied on the ground surface using various stress distribution theories and related charts/tables. To draw and know the variation of the vertical stress distribution on horizontal and vertical plane below the ground surface. To locate the significant depth of foundation using the concept of pressure bulb.	Concept of Pressure Bulb and Vertical Stress Distribution on horizontal & vertical plane Vertical Stress Distribution beneath the loaded area (Line load, Strip load, circular area, and Rectangular area), Newmarks and Fadum's chart Approximate Method of Stress Distribution
At the end of Unit 5, students will be able	Unit 5: Compressibility and Consolidation of Soil (8 hrs)
To define and understand the principles of consolidation, its type, and related theories. To know the mechanism of consolidation given by Terzaghi's spring analogy model. To calculate the time of consolidation To conduct consolidation test in the laboratory. To draw void ratio pressure relationship To determine consolidation parameters of saturated soil To know the types of consolidated clay and to determine pre- consolidation pressure To determine consolidation settlement	Definition, Principles of consolidation, its type Terzaghi's spring analogy model One-Dimensional Consolidation theory Consolidation test Void ratio pressure relationships: Compressibility Characteristics (i.e. Compression Index, Coefficient of Compressibility, Recompression Index, Swelling Index, Coefficient of Volume change, etc.) Normally Consolidated Clay and Over Consolidated Clay and determination of Over Consolidation (i.e. Pre-consolidation) Pressure Determination of Consolidation Settlement Determination of Coefficient of Consolidation by square root and logarithm of time fitting method
At the end of Unit 6, students will be able to understand about	Unit 6: Shear Strength Soil, and Slope Stabilization Techniques (8 hrs)
To know the shear strength of soil and governing parameters. To understand the Mohr-Coulomb's theory, plane of failure and principle planes and stresses. To determination the shear strength parameters conducting different laboratory test. To determine shear strength of clay and sand. To know the types of slope and to find the causes and mechanism of slope failure.	Concept of shear strength of soil Mohr-Coulomb's Failure Criteria Mohr Circle, Normal Stress, Shear Stress, Principle planes, Principle stresses, and plane of failure Determination of Shear Strength Parameters: (i) Direct Shear Test, (ii) Triaxial test: Consolidated Drained (CD) Test, Consolidated Undrained (CU) test, Unconsolidated Undrained (UU) Test, (iii) Unconfined Compression Test, and (iv) Vane Shear Test Shear Strength of Clay and Sand Types of slope, cause and mechanism of slope failure

To determine the FOS and critical	6.7 Factor of safety and critical surface
surface.	6.8 Slope Stabilization Techniques
To stabilize the slopes using different
techniques.

5. List of Tutorials
SN	Numerical problems related to
1.	Phase relationship and properties of soil
2.	Soil classification
3.	Compaction characteristics
4.	Effective stresses on hydrostatic, uniform seepage, Capillary, and uniform surcharge condition
5.	Determination of permeability of soil
6.	Computation of pore pressure at any point of flow net and Calculation of Seepage discharge through soil
7.	Computation of vertical stresses due to applied load (point load, line load, strip load, and UDL on circular Rectangular area)
8.	Use of Newmark and Fadum's chart to compute vertical stress
9.	Consolidation Settlement and Time Rate of Consolidation
10.	Shear strength of soil (c, φ, τ, principal planes, principal stresses, etc.)

6. List of Practical
SN	List of Practical
1.	Determination of specific gravity and water content of soil
2.	Grain size analysis of soil (i.e. Sieve Analysis and Hydrometer Analysis)
3.	Determination of wet density of soil.
4.	Consistency Limits Test for fine-grained soil (i.e. LL, PL, and SL)
5.	Compaction Test
6.	Direct Shear Test
7.	Triaxial Test (Demonstration)
8.	Unconfined Compression Test
9.	Vane Shear Test
10.	Consolidation Test (Demonstration)
11.	Visual Classification Test of Soil (Demonstration)
12.	Experimental demonstration of water effect on sandcastle

5. Evaluation System and Students’ Responsibilities Evaluation System

The internal evaluation of a student may consist of assignments, attendance, term-exams, lab reports and projects etc. The tabular presentation of the internal evaluation is as follows:

Internal Evaluation	Weight	Marks	External Evaluation	Marks
Theory		30	Semester End	50
Attendance & Class Participation	10%
Assignments	20%
Presentations/Quizzes	10%
Internal Assessment	60%
Practical		20
Attendance & Class Participation	10%
Lab Report/Project Report	20%
Practical Exam/Project Work	40%
Viva	30%
Total Internal		50
Full Marks: 50 + 50 = 100

Students’ Responsibilities

Each student must secure at least 45% marks separately in internal assessment and practical evaluation with 80% attendance in the class in order to appear in the Semester End Examination. Failing to get such score will be given NOT QUALIFIED (NQ) to appear the Semester-End Examinations. Students are advised to attend all the classes, formal exam, test, etc. and complete all the assignments within the specified time period. Students are required to complete all the requirements defined for the completion of the course.

8. Prescribed Books and References

Name of Authors / Name of Book / Publishers

Text Books: Murthy, V.N.S. (2007). Text Book of Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering (Geotechnical Engineering Series),CBS Publishers and Distributors Pvt. Ltd. India Ranjan, Gopal & Rao, A.S.R. (2000), Basic and Applied Soil Mechanics,New Age International Publishers, New Delhi, India.

References: Terzaghi, Karl, Peck, R.B. & John, Wiley (1967). Soil Mechanics in Engineering Practice,New York. T. William Lambe, Robert V. Whitman (1969), Soil Mechanics, JOHN WILEY & SONS, New York T. William Lambe, SOIL TESTING for Engineers, John Wiley & Sons, Inc. New York Dante Fratta, Jennifer Aguettant, Lynne Roussel-Smith (2007), Introduction to Soil Mechanics Laboratory Testing, CRC Press, New York Braja M. Das (2002), Principles of Geotechnical Engineering,Thomson, Asia Venkatramaiah, C. (Third Edition), Geotechnical Engineering, New Age International (P) Limited Publisher, India Punmia, B.C, Jain, A.K.& Jain, Arun K. (Seventh Edition 2017). Soil Mechanics and Foundation engineering,Laxmi Publication Pvt. Ltd. India. Adhikari P.B., Thapa H.J. A Text Book of Soil Mechanics, (2023), Sanskriti Prakashan, Kathmandu, Nepal