Soil Mechanics

This is the instructor’s resource site for ENCE 3610, Soil Mechanics, at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.  Use subject to the terms and conditions of this site.

Syllabus for Course Spring 2022

Textbooks and other course references for Free Download

• Soils and Foundations Reference Manual (SFH in the sections below)
• Soil Mechanics by Arnold Verruijt (online book is a little different from book in print)
• Soil Mechanics by N.A. Tsytovich
• YouTube Channel for Soil Mechanics
• My Profile on Meet the Prof

Lecture Course Material:

The first item for each lecture is the slide presentation, then the textbook reference, then the video lecture, and then other material.

• 1:  Introduction; Engineering Geology
  • Verruijt Chapter 1 (print and online); SFH 3.1, 4.1, 4.6
  • Soil Mechanics: Introduction and Rock Mechanics
  • Folds, Dip and Strike
  • Software which presents some basic concepts in soil mechanics
  • Principal Soil Deposits, from NAVFAC DM 7
• 2: Soil Classification
  • Verruijt Chapter 2 (print and online); SFH 4.2-4.5, 5.1
  • Soil Mechanics: Size Gradation and Soil Classification
  • Breaking Down Sieve Data for both Lab and Textbook Problems
  • Sorting Out the Coarse Fraction Using Pie Charts, and a Unified Classification Example
  • Unified Soil Classification, from NAVFAC DM 7
  • Ohio DOT’s Rendition of the AASHTO Classification System
  • DD-1207 (for gradation charts)
• 3: Site Exploration and Classification
  • Verruijt Chapter 3 (print), 47 (online); SFH Chapter 3, 4.7
  • Soil Mechanics: Site Exploration and Characterisation, Field Exploration Methods (including Boring Video)
• 4: Soil Composition
  • Verruijt Chapter 3 (print and online); SFH 2.1, 5.3
  • Soil Mechanics: Soil Composition
  • Weight and Volume Relationships for Soils, from NAVFAC DM 7
  • Those Pesky Kilogram-Force Units — vulcanhammer.info
• 5: Effective Stress
  • Verruijt Chapters 5 and 6 (print,) 4 and 5 (online); SFH 2.2, 2.3, 5.3
  • Soil Mechanics: Effective (Intergranular) Stresses and Capillary Rise
• 6: Groundwater I
  • Verruijt Chapters 7-12 (print,) 6-11 (online)
  • Soil Mechanics: Groundwater and Permeability I
  • Variation in Viscosity, which has some explanation of the units of viscosity and how it’s applied to the coefficient of permeability
  • Computing Pore Water Pressure and Effective Stress in Upward (and Downward) Flow in Soil
• 7: Groundwater II
  • Verruijt Chapters 7-12 (print,) 6-11 (online); SFH 5.6
  • Soil Mechanics: Groundwater and Permeability II
  • The Raising of the Maine, Cellular Cofferdams, Why Puerto Rico is Part of the U.S., and Why Puerto Ricans are Americans
• 8: Compaction and Soil Improvement
  • SFH 5.8
  • Soil Mechanics: Compaction and Soil Improvement
  • An Overview of Compaction Equipment, from DM 7
  • The “Line of Optimums” Approach for Compaction
• 9: Introduction to Soil Stress States
  • Verruijt Chapter 21 (print,) 20 (online); SFH 2.8, Appendix B
  • Soil Mechanics: Introduction to Soil Stress States
  • p-q Diagrams
    • p-q Diagrams and Mohr-Coulomb Failure
    • More Uses for p-q Diagrams
  • Mohr’s Circle Analysis Using Linear Algebra and Numerical Methods w/Online Routine
• 10: Elastic Solutions to Soil Deflections and Stresses
  • Verruijt Chapters 28-31 (print,) 27-30 (online); SFH 2.4, 2.5, 5.9, 8.7
  • Soil Mechanics: Elastic Solutions to Soil Deflections and Stresses
  • Analytical Boussinesq Solutions for Strip, Square and Rectangular Loads
  • Boussinesq Solution to Verruijt Newmark Problem
• 11: Settlement and Consolidation of Soils
  • Verruijt Chapters 15-20; SFH 5.4, 8.5.3
  • Soil Mechanics: Settlement and Consolidation of Soils
  • Now that you’ve learned how to plot consolidation diagrams, here is how some people view what you’ve learned
  • Mexico City’s surprising crisis: the city is sinking
• 12: Shear Strength Theory
  • Verruijt Chapters 22 and 24-27; SFH 5.5
  • Soil Mechanics: Shear Strength Theory
  • Spreadsheet Solution for First Two Examples
  • Quick Clay Landslide in Norway Injures One — GeoPrac.net (example of sensitive clay)
• 13: Stability of Earth Slopes
  • Verruijt Chapters 45-47; SFH 6.0
  • Video Presentation for Slope Stability
  • Slope Stability Software
  • A Quick Preliminary Way to Determine Slope Stability
• 14: Lateral Earth Pressures
  • Verruijt Chapters 45-47; SFH 10.2 – 10.4
  • Video Presentation for Lateral Earth Pressure
  • Seismic Design of Waterfront Retaining Structures, one of the best references for lateral earth pressures in general and the Mononobe-Okabe method in particular
• My Review for the FE Exam Civil/Geotechnical Section

Other Stuff

• Mathematical Resources (because everybody needs help in math)
• Blessed are the Merciful: I keep getting requests to “go light” on the grading. This is how I did it myself.
• My Thoughts on Sleeping in Class
• In Search of the Lost Movado.  Bar hopping has consequences.
• Who’s This Idiot? That’s Me!  It’s easy to get trapped in the system.
• When the Pathfinder Gets Lost: some students like to “follow the lead” of someone else to get the course work done. That can have negative results other than those described in the syllabus, just like this example
• Taking the Last Voyage with Newton and Pascal: many of you will recognise the name of Saint-Venant from mechanics of materials, but here’s another side of his life and work. With comment from former department head.
• What’s Really Important When You Hit the Field
• The Two Promises I Made to Myself
• Lessons from the Cotter Bridge
• Mirroring Our Creator