CE 3007 - Soil Mechanics - Course Information

Basic Information

Course Code:

CE 3007

Course Name:

Soil Mechanics

Language of Instruction:

English

Course Type:

Class

Course Level:

Bachelor

ECTS:

5.00

Instructor:

Doç. Dr. Gamze BİLGEN

Course Objectives

The aim of this course is to provide students with knowledge of the fundamental concepts of soil mechanics and the principles governing the physical behaviour of soils; to develop the ability to define, calculate, and interpret the parameters and related laboratory tests concerning soil phase relationships and index properties, soil classification, compaction principles, stress in soils, and shear strength; and to enable students to approach geotechnical problems from an engineering perspective.

Course Content

This course covers the fundamental concepts of soil mechanics, soil phase relationships, physical and index properties of soils, unit weight concepts, water content, void ratio, porosity, degree of saturation, and the relationships among these properties; laboratory tests for the determination of index properties; soil classification systems, sieve analysis, Atterberg limits, compaction principles and the Proctor test; the concept of stress, total stress, pore water pressure, effective stress, shear strength, laboratory tests for determining shear strength parameters, and the determination of soil shear strength parameters by means of the Mohr circle using test data.

Prerequisites / Corequisites

NONE

Course Books / Materials / Recommended Resources

Das, B. M., Sivakugan, N. Fundamentals of Geotechnical Engineering· Knappett, J., Craig, R. F. Craig’s Soil Mechanics.· Budhu, M. Soil Mechanics Fundamentals.

Learning Outcomes

Code	Description
LO1	Define the physical and index properties of soils, explain the related laboratory tests, and calculate the basic parameters associated with these properties by using test results.
LO2	Explain the laboratory tests used in soil classification, classify soils using test data, and interpret the results.
LO3	Explain the concepts of compaction, total stress, pore water pressure, and effective stress in soils; perform basic calculations using relevant data; and evaluate the results.
LO4	Explain the fundamental concepts related to the shear strength of soils and the associated laboratory tests; determine and interpret the shear strength parameters of soils by means of the Mohr circle using test data.

Weekly Course Content

Week	Content
1	Introduction to soil mechanics, fundamental concepts, and soil phase relationships
2	Physical properties of soils and the concept of unit weight
3	Water content, void ratio, porosity, and degree of saturation
4	Relationships among index properties and basic related calculations
5	Laboratory tests for the determination of index properties
6	Compaction principles
7	Proctor test and determination of compaction parameters
8	Midterm Exam
9	Soil classification systems and sieve analysis
10	Atterberg limits and their use in soil classification
11	Introduction to stress concept and total stress in soils
12	Pore water pressure and effective stress
13	Shear strength concept and laboratory tests for determining shear strength parameters
14	Determination of soil shear strength parameters using Mohr circle based on experimental data
15	General review and end-of-term evaluation

Workload Calculation

Activity	Count	Duration (Hours)	Total
Attendance	15	5.00	75.00
Practice	15	2.00	30.00
Laboratory	6	1.00	6.00
Pre-Class Individual Study	15	1.00	15.00
Post-Class Individual Study	15	1.00	15.00
Post-Prectice Individual Study	6	1.00	6.00
Midterm Exam/Preparation	1	4.00	4.00
Total Workload (Hours)			151
ECTS Credit (Workload / 25)			5

Assessment

#	Assessment Type	Contribution (%)
1	Quiz	%3
2	Quiz	%3
3	Midterm Exam	%35
4	Quiz	%3
5	Quiz	%3
6	Quiz	%3
7	Final Exam	%50
TOTAL		%100

PO - LO Matrix

PO \ LO	LO1	LO2	LO3	LO4
PO-1
PO-2
PO-3
PO-4
PO-5
PO-6
PO-7
PO-8
PO-9
PO-10
PO-11

1

Low Contribution

2

Medium Contribution

3

High Contribution

Teaching and Learning Methods

#	Method Name	Description	Tools
1	Lecture (expository teaching), interactive discussion	Listening and taking notes.	Standard classroom technologies, multimedia tools (projector, computer, digital presentations)
2	Problem Solving	* Analyzing physical and physiological problems using problem-solving techniques and developing appropriate solutions.
3	Laboratory	Listening, note-taking, conceptual analysis, critical thinking, questioning, and participation in discussions.	Special equipment

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