CEE/CNE 351 GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING

FALL 2022

COURSE SYLLABUS

Instructor information

Dr. Hamed Khodadadi Tirkolaei

Office: GWC 116

Email: hamedk@asu.edu

TAs:

Shivangi Jain

Office: GWC-111

Email: sjain89@asu.edu

Sarina Shahhosseini

Office: GWC-111

Email: sshahho1@asu.edu

UGTA:

Harmanjot Singh

Email: hsingh40@asu.edu

Grader:
Tessa Hannah

Email: tjhannah@asu.edu

Class meeting times and rooms

Lectures & recitations: Mon, Wed 12:20 - 1:35 pm PSH151

Lab Sessions: Mon 3:00 - 5:30 pm; ISTB2-105 / ISTB2-165

Tue 9:00 - 11:30 am; ISTB2-105 / ISTB2-165

Wed 1:40 - 4:10 pm; ISTB2-105 / ISTB2-165

Office Hours

Hamed Khodadadi Tirkolaei (Instructor): Mon, Wed 1:45 – 2:45pm (at GWC-116 or through
zoom), by appointment only

Shivangi Jain (TA): Tuesday 3:30-4:30pm (at GWC-111 or through zoom), by appointment only

Sarina Shahhosseini (TA): ??? (at GWC-111 or through zoom), by appointment only

Course description and course objectives

This course provides the students with an introduction in geotechnical engineering, which
enables them to characterize soils and perform basic design calculations for geotechnical
engineering applications.

The course covers the following topics:

 Introduction to Geotechnical Engineering

 Subsurface investigation
 Index properties
 Phase relationships (mass/weight/volume)
 Soil classification, gradation, plasticity, clay minerals
 Soil compaction and improvement; theory and techniques; earthwork quantities
 Groundwater, soil capillarity, expansive soils; effective stress; unsaturated soils
 Groundwater permeability and seepage
 Induced soil stresses from surface loads
  Consolidation settlement and time-rate
 Soil shear stress (Mohr’s circle analysis) and strength
 Slope stability
 Bearing capacity of shallow foundations.
 Lateral earth pressure and intro to retaining walls.

Enrollment requirements

Students should have a basic knowledge and skills in math and physics.

Prerequisites

CEE/CNE 213: Deformable Solids (C or better)

Expected Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course, students should be able to:

 Classify soil based upon visual characteristics and index properties in accordance with
the Unified Soil Classification System
 Perform basic geotechnical tests for index properties, compaction characteristics, in-situ
density, permeability, and shear strength
 Establish compaction criteria for earthworks construction
 Understand and interpret flow networks and solve seepage analysis problems and pore
pressures for one- and two-dimensional steady state flow
 Calculate total and effective stresses for geostatic conditions.
 Calculate stress increments due to surface loads.
 Calculate the magnitude and time-rate of consolidation for one-dimensional conditions
 Identify the factors influencing slope stability
 Calculate active and passive lateral earth pressures.
 Calculate the bearing capacity for a shallow foundation on a homogeneous soil.
 Interpret field and laboratory test data to establish drained and undrained shear strength
parameters for soils

Course textbook and materials

Title: Geotechnical Engineering, Principles and Practices

Author: Donald P. Coduto, Man-chu R. Yeung and William A. Kitch

Edition: 2nd

Copyright Year: 2011

Publisher: Pearson Learning Solutions

The textbook will be referred to often and students must bring the textbook to each lecture and
lab with the appropriate reading completed. Additional lecture notes, slides, guidelines and
supporting material for this course will be made available on Canvas prior to the lecture or lab
section.

Organization of the course

The course is organized around the major topics listed above. Lecture, recitation and laboratory
sessions introduce, develop and reinforce the concepts. Assigned problem sets further reinforce
the concepts and provide opportunity for exploration. Two midterm assessments and a final
assessment at the end of the course will assess the student’s mastery of the concepts.

Required work

Lectures and recitations – Attendance and active participation in lecture and recitation sessions
is highly recommended but not mandatory. Through active participation students can identify
which concepts require more instruction during lectures and which problems will be discussed
during the recitation sessions. This will enhance the learning experience and allow the instructor
to improve alignment between learning objectives, assessment, and instructional methods. Per
instructors’ discretion, students may be able to earn extra credit or honors credit through active
participation.

Quizzes – Quizzes may be given throughout the semester during lecture hours and may not
necessarily be announced in advance. Missed quizzes cannot be made up. No sharing of books,
calculators, etc. will be allowed during quizzes or tests so please come prepared. All quizzes are
closed book and closed notes unless otherwise stipulated. You will be allowed to drop your
lowest quiz grade from the average. No assignment grades will be dropped.

Homework assignments - Homework assignment will be given throughout the semester

covering the different topics – all assignments must be completed and handed in to receive a
grade. Assignments are due at the start of class on the due date. Late assignments may receive
partial credit if submitted prior to posting of solutions to the Canvas (The solutions will be
posted on Canvas within a week after the due date). Homework assignments submitted after the
solutions are posted will not receive any points. Assignments will be graded on content, clarity,
and neatness. You may work together on assignments; however, each person must submit a set
of solutions prepared by their own hand, in their own words. Homework assignments may be
handwritten or typed as long as they are presented in an orderly, readable and of professional
quality. Schedule and due dates will be posted on Canvas. Supplemental information and
announcements (e.g. changes in the schedule, changes and clarifications to assignments,
extensions on due dates, supplemental reading materials) will be posted periodically to Canvas.

Exams - Two mid-term assessments and one final assessment are scheduled throughout the
semester. Exams will take place during (extended) lecture hours. The mid-term assessments will
be rescheduled for an individual student only in extreme circumstances. The final assessment
may be re-scheduled only for an individual student that has more than three final exams on one
day. Completing the homework assignments, quizzes, and other assigned readings and lab work
with a comprehensive understanding should prepare the student to perform well on these
scheduled assessments. Exam questions will be similar as those discussed during the lectures and
practiced during the homework assignments. Further exam regulations and guidelines will be
posted on Canvas.

Laboratory Assignments – A short quiz based on lab procedure will be given at the beginning
of each lab session, worth approximately 20% of each lab grade (generally 2 points for the quiz,
8 points for the lab exercise and report). The quizzes will be based on any documents made
available by the instructors prior to the lab as well as the pertinent lecture material, textbook
section(s), and standard procedures. A Teaching Assistant will provide much of the instruction
during lab sessions and will be available for questions. One lab report will be submitted from
each lab group for each lab session. Lab reports will usually be submitted to the lab instructor
approximately 10 days after the lab session (with exceptions for holidays and other schedule
oddities). Late lab reports will not be accepted, NO EXCUSES. No lab grades will be omitted
from the average. Lab reports must follow the Lab Report Requirements. Each member of the
lab group must personally wet-sign the signature page, as described in the Lab Report
Requirements. No open toe shoes are allowed in the lab areas. Any student that does not
participate in a lab session will not be allowed to contribute to the report for that lab session and
consequently will receive a zero grade for that lab.

Professional work - Part of your grade for homework assignments, lab reports or exams will be
based on the presentation of your work and professionalism is paramount. Assignment
submittals should be more like reports than simple equations and answers. Problem numbers
and the complete (as given) problem statement must be provided. Organize your solution and
explain every step along the way (i.e. provide text), as if you are trying to teach someone else
(the reader) how to do the problem. Provide diagrams and never write an equation without first
showing the symbolic formula and then substituting in the proper values.

All work submitted for grading credit must be your own work and fully understood by you.
Learning is best achieved in an environment where discussions take place. Thus, you may find it
beneficial to discuss your work with other class participants in a small study group of
approximately 2 to 5 students. However, in order to be successful on quizzes and exams, you
must learn to efficiently formulate and solve the problems on your own, with very limited
references. If this is not the case, you will have great difficulty performing well on assessment
exams in this course. Regardless of the level to which you discuss the problems with other
individuals, the work you submit for credit must be created solely by you.

Simple interpretation – Show up, be engaged, don’t miss anything, do your work, submit
professional quality work, and don’t be late with anything.

Grading Policy

Homework assignments: 15%

Midterm exam I: 20%

Midterm exam II: 20%

Final exam: 20%

Lab Section: 25%

A+: >95% B+: 80 – 84% C+: 69 – 70 %

A: 90 – 95% B: 75 – 79% C: 64 – 68 %
A-: 85 – 89% B-: 71 – 74% D: 58 – 63 %
E: Below 58%

The instructor may provide opportunities to earn extra credit based on bonus assignments or
classroom participation.

Assigned grades will not be discussed in the classroom. Grader should be your first point of
contact if you have any questions about your grades (except for lab report grades which
should be directed to TAs). If you still disagree with a particular grade, any disputes will be
resolved personally, in the instructor's office during his office hours. I will be glad to discuss
your concerns and make any corrections if required.

General Class Policies

Classroom Procedures – Please turn off cell phones while in class or lab meetings. Cell phone
usage in class is not allowed (this includes texting). Food or drinks cannot be brought into the
classroom (except bottled water). Students are allowed to use calculators, but the use of
computers is prohibited during assessments. During exams students are not allowed to carry any
communication or recording device (e.g. cell phone, pager, etc.) in their pockets. Such items
must be turned off and stowed away in a bag underneath their chair or table. Carrying such items
is considered cheating.

General Responsibilities – The responsibility for learning rests with each student. The
instructor will assist by making the classroom environment one conducive to learning but your
preparation is essential. The student is responsible for assigned reading, mastering assigned
homework problems, and seeking assistance if needed. Each student is expected to bring all
necessary tools to class (including any course materials, notes, calculators, writing materials,
etc.). Retain originals or copies of all graded material for your records and for future reference.

Absence & Make-Up Policies - Attendance and participation in class activities is an essential
part of the learning process, and students are expected to attend class regularly. In person
attendance to lab sessions is mandatory. Some absences are, however, unavoidable. Excused
absences for classes will be given without penalty to the grade in the case of (1) a university-
sanctioned event [ACD 304-02]; (2) religious holidays [ACD 304-04; a list can be found here
https://eoss.asu.edu/cora/holidays ]; (3) work performed in the line-of-duty according [SSM 201-
18]; and (4) illness, quarantine or self-isolation related to illness as documented by a health
professional.

Students who expect to miss class for one of these reasons should inform the instructor(s) under
the following criteria: (1) Identify yourself and the anticipated missed class in writing (email) at
least one week prior to missing class. An email detailing the valid reason for absence (what,
where, why, and when) must be sent to the instructor. In general, you should expect to make up
work under the same conditions as the other students. In case you cannot attend lectures in
person for a valid reason, you may be able to participate in the lectures remotely via Zoom. To
participate remotely, students have to notify the lecturer in advance to receive the Zoom link and
join the class online at least 15 minutes before the start of the lecture to be admitted to the online
session.

Communication Policies – It is rare that the instructors check or answer e-mails during
weekends. Please understand that it is extremely difficult to explain answers and help you
via phone or email, as sketches are most effective. Therefor please make use of lecture hours
lab sessions or office hours to ask your questions. Emails must be addressed to all instructors and
include a descriptive subject line beginning with “CEE 351” so we know which course,
assignment, etc. to which you are referring.

Required Face Coverings – No face covering is required at this point. Any update in this regard
and other important information for the ASU community can be found at the ASU’s official
source of information about COVID-19: https://eoss.asu.edu/health/announcements/coronavirus

Academic integrity

Students in this class must adhere to ASU’s academic integrity policy, which can be found
at https://provost.asu.edu/academic-integrity/policy). Students are responsible for reviewing this
policy and understanding each of the areas in which academic dishonesty can occur. In addition,
all engineering students are expected to adhere to both the ASU Academic Integrity Honor Code
and the Fulton Schools of Engineering Honor Code. All academic integrity violations will be
reported to the Fulton Schools of Engineering Academic Integrity Office (AIO). The AIO
maintains record of all violations and has access to academic integrity violations committed in all
other ASU college/schools.

Copyright

All course content and materials, including lectures (Zoom recorded lectures included), are
copyrighted materials and students may not share outside the class, upload to online websites not
approved by the instructor, sell, or distribute course content or notes taken during the conduct of
the course (see ACD 304–06, “Commercial Note Taking Services” and ABOR Policy 5-308 F.14
for more information).

You must refrain from uploading to any course shell, discussion board, or website used by the
course instructor or other course forum, material that is not the student's original work, unless the
students first comply with all applicable copyright laws; faculty members reserve the right to
delete materials on the grounds of suspected copyright infringement.

Policy against threatening behavior, per the Student Services Manual, SSM 104–02

Students, faculty, staff, and other individuals do not have an unqualified right of access to
university grounds, property, or services. Interfering with the peaceful conduct of university-
related business or activities or remaining on campus grounds after a request to leave may be
considered a crime. All incidents and allegations of violent or threatening conduct by an ASU
student (whether on- or off-campus) must be reported to the ASU Police Department (ASU PD)
and the Office of the Dean of Students.
Disability Accommodations

Suitable accommodations will be made for students having disabilities. Students needing
accommodations must register with the ASU disabilities resource Center and provide
documentation of that registration to the instructor. Students should communicate the need for an
accommodation in sufficient time for it to be properly arranged. See ACD 304-08 Classroom and
Testing Accommodations for Students with Disabilities. Please see
https://eoss.asu.edu/accessibility for more information.

Harrassment and Sexual Discrimination

Arizona State University is committed to providing an environment free of discrimination,

harassment, or retaliation for the entire university community, including all students, faculty
members, staff employees, and guests. ASU expressly prohibits discrimination, harassment,
and retaliation by employees, students, contractors, or agents of the university based on any
protected status: race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, sexual
orientation, gender identity, and genetic information.

Title IX is a federal law that provides that no person be excluded on the basis of sex from
participation in, be denied benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education
program or activity. Both Title IX and university policy make clear that sexual violence and
harassment based on sex is prohibited. An individual who believes they have been subjected to
sexual violence or harassed on the basis of sex can seek support, including counseling and
academic support, from the university. If you or someone you know has been harassed on the
basis of sex or sexually assaulted, you can find information and resources at
https://sexualviolenceprevention.asu.edu/faqs.

As an employee of the University I am considered a mandated reporter and therefore obligated to

report any information I become aware of regarding alleged acts of sexual discrimination,
including sexual violence and dating violence. ASU Counseling Services,
https://eoss.asu.edu/counseling, is available if you wish to discuss any concerns confidentially
and privately.

Notice:

Any information in this syllabus (other than grading and absence policies) may be subject to
change with reasonable advance notice.

Lecture Schedule CEE351 Fall 2022

Date Topic Reading
Aug 22 Introduction to Geotechnical Engineering Ch. 1
Aug 24 Engineering Geology and Soil Formation Ch. 2
Aug 29 Site investigation and Subsurface Exploration Ch. 3
Aug 31 Soil Classification Ch. 5
Sep 5 Labor day – No Class
Sep 7 Soil Composition and Index Properties Ch. 4
Sep 12 Compaction Ch. 6
Sep 14 Groundwater Ch. 7
Sep 19 1D Flow (Darcy’s Law) Ch. 7
Sep 21 2D Flow (Flownet Problems) Ch. 8
Sep 26 2D Flow (pumps and layers) Ch. 8
Sep 28 Review Problems Ch 1-8
Oct 3 Mid-Term I
Oct 5 Stress in Soil (Geostatic & Horizontal Stress) Ch. 9
Oct 10 Fall Break – no class
Oct 12 Induced Stresses (Boussinesq’s Method) Ch. 9
Oct 17 Effective Stress Ch. 9
Oct 19 Compressibility and Settlement Ch. 10
Oct 24 Consolidation Ch. 10
Oct 26 Rate of Consolidation Ch. 11
Oct 31 Review Problems Ch 9-11
Nov 2 Mid-Term II
Nov 7 Mohr’s Circle and Failure Criteria Ch. 9&12
Nov 9 Soil Strength Ch. 12
Nov 14 Soil Strength Ch. 12
Nov 16 Slope Stability Ch. 13
Nov 21 Foundation: Bearing Capacity and Settlement Ch. 14&15
Nov 23 Retaining Structures & Lateral pressures Ch. 16 &17
Nov 28 Retaining Structures & Lateral pressures Ch. 16 &17
Nov 30 Review Problems Ch. 9, 12-17
Dec 5-10 Final Exam

Lab Exercise Schedule, Fall 2022

The lab groups will be formed during the first lab session. Each lab session will have an
introduction lecture. Depending on the lab section you registered for, you will meet on Mondays,
Tuesdays or Wednesdays for labs. See the dates for each lab section below.

The lab exercises to be performed are as follows:

Lab 1 Visual-Manual Soil Classification – ASTM D2488, D2487

Sieve Analysis – ASTM D2487
Lab 2
Max & Min Density – ASTM D4253 & ASTM D4254
Atterberg Limits (Plasticity Index) – ASTM D4318
Lab 3
Specific Gravity of Soil Solids, Gs – ASTM D854
Lab 4 Proctor Compaction – ASTM D698
Sand Cone Field Density – ASTM D1556
Lab 5
Hydraulic Conductivity – ASTM D5084
Lab 6 Unconfined Compression Test: Harvard Miniature Compaction – ASTM D2166
Direct Shear Test – ASTM D3080
Lab 7
Triaxial Compression – ASTM D2850

The Lab sections will start with 30 minutes of instructions, which will take place in ISTB2-105.

The lab sections itself will be at ISTB2-165.

*Before each lab session, please find and read the literature available on Canvas (ASTM
Standards and Guidelines). The required documents will be uploaded on Canvas before each lab
section.

*There will be an instruction before each lab session, if you miss the instruction you are not
allowed to work in the lab!

*Be prepared for short quizzes before the beginning of each lab session. Quizzes will be done in
Canvas, so make sure to bring a device (Smartphone, tablet) which you can use to access the
quizzes on Canvas during the lab session.

*If you are not able to attend one of the lab sessions, you have to communicate this to the TAs in
advance and retake the lab during one of the other sessions.

The dates for each lab exercise are as follows:

Monday Tuesday Wednesday

3:00 – 5:30 pm 9:00 – 11:30 am 1:40 pm – 4:10 pm

8/29 8/30 8/31

M – Lab 1 T – Lab 1 W – Lab 1

9/12 9/13 9/14

M – Lab 2 T – Lab 2 W – Lab 2

9/26 9/27 9/28

M – Lab 3 T – Lab 3 W – Lab 3

10/10 Fall break 10/11 Fall break 10/12

No Lab No Lab Lecture but no Lab

10/17 10/18 10/19

M – Lab 4 T – Lab 4 W – Lab 4

10/31 11/1 11/2

M – Lab 5 T – Lab 5 W – Lab 5

11/14 11/15 11/16

M – Lab 6 T – Lab 6 W – Lab 6

11/28 11/29 11/30

M – Lab 7 T – Lab 7 W – Lab 7

* For the first lab session, prior to the lab, assemble outside in front of ISTB-105.