CMGT 450 - Soils and Foundations

Description:
An introduction to soil mechanics and analysis and design of both shallow and deep foundations. Three hours lecture and two hours of lab. Permission by instructor. Course will be offered every year (Fall).

Prerequisites:
Prerequisites: ETSC 312 and either CMGT 346 or CMGT 347.

Credits: (4)

Learner Outcomes:
Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:

Identify and describe sources of soils, how these soils are deposited and their physical engineering properties as they relate to the Unified Classification System.
Properly calculate engineering properties of soils, including water flow through soil using Darcy’s equation, moisture content, densities and void ratio, based on information obtained from reading a soil boring log.
Demonstrate an understanding of soil compaction and the relationship of soil density to moisture content.
Properly calculate stress distribution in soils beneath both a point and distributed foundation load using influence coefficients, the Boussinesq Equation and chart and a Newmark chart.
Properly calculate consolidation and settlement of a foundation over a clay stratum, as a function of time, using an “e log p curve”.
Demonstrate an understanding of soil strength due to cohesion and internal friction, the tests used to determine this strength and how this relates to the ability of the soils to support a variety of structures.
Properly analyze and design both shallow and deep foundations, including spread footings, piling and piers. Also, properly determine at rest, active and passive lateral soil stress on earth retaining structures.