- INTRODUCTION:
Importance of mechanics of soils in civil engineering
Difficulties in predicting the behavior of soils as a construction and load bearing material.
Formation and type of soils
- INDEX PROPERTIES OF SOIL
Phase diagrams of soil,
Phase relations of soil: water content, void ratio, porosity, degree of saturation, air content, percentage air voids, unit weights and specific gravity
Weight-volume relationships and their derivations
Determination of phase relations of soil
Problems related to phase relations of soil.
Consistency of soils and its states
Atterberg’s limits
Determination of Atterberg’s limits
Consistency indices
Problems related to consistency of soils.
Grain size distribution of soils:
Particle size distribution curves
Sieve analysis
Stoke’s law
Hydrometer analysis
Problems related to grain size distribution of soil.
- SOIL CLASSIFICATION
Particle size classification systems
AASHTO classification system
Unified soil classification system
Identification and classification of expansive soils
Collapsible and dispersion soils
- SOIL WATER
Modes of occurrence of water in soil
Absorbed / adsorbed water
Capillary water
- IN-SITU STRESSES
Stress condition in soil
Effective and neutral stresses
Stresses in saturated soils with upward and downward seepages
Problems related to in-situ stresses
- PERMEABILITY OF SOIL
Permeability
Darcy’s law
Factors affecting permeability
Permeability of stratified soils
Laboratory and field determination of permeability
Problems related to permeability of soils
- SEEPAGE IN SOILS
Seepage, hydraulic potential, hydraulic gradient, and seepage pressure
Quicksand condition and critical hydraulic gradients
Introduction to flow nets: flow lines, equipotential lines seepage calculation from a flow net
Liquefaction, Piping
- CONSOLIDATION
Settlement and its types
Consolidation and its importance
Mechanics of consolidation
Spring water analogy,
Theory of one-dimensional consolidation: assumptions and validity
Laboratory consolidation tests and graphical representation of data
Calculation of voids ratio
Primary and secondary consolidation
Time factor and degree of consolidation
Coefficient of consolidation
Normally and pre-consolidated clays
Determination of pre-consolidation pressure and over consolidation ratio
Problems related to consolidation settlement.