CEEN 4881 - Youngstown State University's Personal Web Pages

Civil & Environmental Engineering
Youngstown State University
CEEN 4881 – Geotechnical Engineering / 3 s. h. Spring 2012
Instructor: Anwarul Islam, Ph.D., P.E.
Office Hours: M, W: 0930-1100
T: 1200-1400
Office: 2430 Moser Hall
Phone: 330-941-1740
E-mail: aaislam@ysu.edu
Prerequisites: MATH 2673, CEEN 3749 and an unrecalculated GPA of 2.0 or better in all CEEN
(major) courses.
Text
• Principles of Geotechnical Engineering by Braja M. Das, 7 th Edition, CENGAGE
Learning.
References:
• Principles of Foundation Engineering by Braja M. Das, 7 th Edition, Cengage Learning.
• Foundation Analysis and Design by Joseph A Bowles, 5 th ed., McGraw-Hill Science
Course Content
The course contents are as follows:
• Introduction to geotechnical engineering practices and historical review
• Geotechnical investigation and data collection
• Determination of mechanical and index soil properties
• Principles and applications of (i) stress distribution in soils; (ii) earth pressure; (iii) earth retaining
structures
• Fundamentals of slope stability and embankment analysis
• Fundamentals of foundation settlement and bearing capacity applications
General and Grading Policy
The final grade for this course will be based on the following:
2 Mid-term Exams (2 @ 25% each) 50%
Final 30%
Homework 10%
Project 10%
Score
Grade
90 - 100 A
80 - 89 B
70 - 79 C
60 - 69 D
Less than 60 F
• Assignments are due a week after they are assigned. Late assignments and project reports will not be
accepted. Free-hand drawn sketches in the assignments will be penalized. All assignments must be done
using one side of green engineering papers. Copying from others in doing homework is strictly
prohibited, and will result in zero grades for all parties concerned.
• It is very important that you participate in the class activities. Class participation will include asking
and answering questions in the class. Use of cell phones/beepers is strictly prohibited in the class.
• Bring your class notes, text book and calculator every time you attend a lecture.
• All the exams will be closed-book closed-notes. The necessary materials such as charts, tables and
figures will be given as needed.
• The project will be a group effort. Each group will consist of 3 to 4 students depending on the class
size. Each student in the group must demonstrate his or her efforts in the project. An interim report on the
progress of the project must be submitted by March 30, 2011.
The spirally bound final report shall include the following:
1. Statement of the problem, 2. Method of analysis, 3. Figures, 4. Calculations, and 5. References.
Word processing and other graphic programs shall be used to produce the text, figures and charts of the
final report. Handwriting or free-hand sketches are not allowed in the final report.
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Civil & Environmental Engineering
Youngstown State University
Attendance
Attendance will be considered as it is reflected in assignments and class participation.
Incomplete Grade Policy
Often times a situation will arise where a student, due to reasons beyond his/her control, is unable to
complete the requirements for the course. An incomplete grade or a grade of “I” can be issued. Under
YSU policy, the student has to complete the course requirements by September 1 of this year, or the grade
of “I” reverts to the grade of “F.”
Disability Statement
In accordance with University procedures, if you have a documented disability and require
accommodations to obtain equal access in this course, please contact me privately to discuss your specific
needs. You must be registered with the SP/Disability Services, located at 275 Fifth Avenue, and provide a
letter of accommodation to verify your eligibility. You can reach the CSP/Disability Services at 330-941-
1372.
Academic Honesty
Academic honesty and personal integrity are the foundations upon which a quality education is built. A
student is referred to the University’s policy on academic policy in the YSU Undergraduate Bulletin.
Course Objectives
The main objective of this course is to acquire necessary knowledge and skills in the area of geotechnical
engineering to develop the required proficiency needed to analyze and design different geotechnical
systems. Moreover, the students shall demonstrate that they attained the following knowledge and skills:
• Understand the mechanical and index properties soils, and analyze the laboratory/field testing
results with respect to a given practical application.
• Utilize knowledge of soil mechanics to identify, formulate and solve practical geotechnical
problems.
• Use computational tools to analyze and design retaining walls, foundations, and embankments.
• Search for additional information outside the domain of the textbook or class handouts.
This is a basic course in geotechnical engineering tailored for junior and senior level civil engineering
students. It is anticipated that each student will develop the following attributes as the result of a
successful completion of this course:
• an ability to apply knowledge of math, science, and engineering
• an ability to design a system or component to meet desired needs
• an ability to communicate (in writing) effectively
• a recognition of the need for, and an ability to engage in life-long learning
• an ability to use techniques, skills, and modern engineering tools
• an ability to identify, formulate and solve engineering problems
• an ability to apply basic design philosophies to new situations
• an ability to explore a variety of design scenarios from multiple perspectives
• an ability to solve problems, and as a result, strengthen critical thinking skills
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