CVEG 5193 Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering (Graduate)

The purpose of this course is to familiarize students with the field of geotechnical earthquake engineering and soil dynamics. Lectures will focus on understanding earthquake hazards and developing methods used for geotechnical seismic analysis and design. Key principles of soil dynamics such as nonlinear soil behavior and dynamic in-situ site characterization will be addressed in terms of the important role they play in seismic site response. In particular, this course covers stress wave propagation in soil and rock; influence of soil conditions on seismic ground motion characteristics; evaluation of site response using wave propagation techniques; liquefaction of soils; seismic response of earth structures and slopes.

CVEG 563V Earth Retaining Structures (Graduate)

In this course, we are concerned with the design of systems to retain earth. While there are many names and types of earth retaining systems, this course will focus on the following general classifications: (1) cast-in-place and modular gravity retaining walls, (2) mechanically stabilized earth walls, (3) nongravity cantilevered and anchored walls, and (4) in-situ reinforced walls.

CVEG 563V Geotechnical Site Characterization (Graduate)

Prior to construction of any structure, geotechnical engineers are responsible for determining vertical and lateral soil and rock stratigraphy, evaluating groundwater conditions, acquiring and interpreting laboratory and in-situ test data for determination of engineering properties (strength, compressibility, permeability, etc.), and synthesizing this information for use in design of foundations or other earth-based structures. However, the engineering behavior of soil and rock is strongly influenced by geologic age, particle size and mineralogy, historic and current state of stress, direction and rate of loading, and flow/drainage conditions. Hence, our construction materials are complex, and our ability to perform engineering analyses far exceeds our ability to determine appropriate soil and rock properties to input into these analyses. Therefore, it is very important for the geotechnical engineer to be familiar with an arsenal of site characterization techniques, know when to use them, and understand the precision (or lack therefore) associated with each one (Coduto 2001). On nearly all projects, due to the increased cost and time involved in conducting laboratory tests, there are far fewer lab tests available for interpretation than field tests. Therefore, geotechnical engineers often rely heavily on the more abundant data from in-situ tests for site characterization and design purposes (NHI 2001).

CVEG 4143 Foundation Engineering (Undergraduate)

Foundation engineering combines the study of soil behavior (the material you learned in soil mechanics) with topics from engineering mechanics and structures (structural analysis, concrete, and steel design) in order to design all manner of geotechnical structures. It may be one of the most rigorous courses you will take as part of your Civil Engineering program. In general, we discuss practical concepts of soil behavior, develop mechanistic methods of analysis, and apply our knowledge of soil properties and basic mechanics to the design of earth structures and foundations.