COURSE INFORMATION Course Title: SOIL MECHANICS

Code	Course Type	Regular Semester	Theory	Practice	Lab	Credits	ECTS
CE 361	B	5	3	1	1	4	5

Academic staff member responsible for the design of the course syllabus (name, surname, academic title/scientific degree, email address and signature)	Dr. Anila Xhahysa axhahysa@epoka.edu.al
Main Course Lecturer (name, surname, academic title/scientific degree, email address and signature) and Office Hours:	Dr. Anila Xhahysa axhahysa@epoka.edu.al , NA
Second Course Lecturer(s) (name, surname, academic title/scientific degree, email address and signature) and Office Hours:	NA
Language:	English
Compulsory/Elective:	Compulsory
Study program: (the study for which this course is offered)	Bachelor in Civil Engineering (3 years)
Classroom and Meeting Time:	A 127
Teaching Assistant(s) and Office Hours:	NA
Code of Ethics:	Code of Ethics of EPOKA University Regulation of EPOKA University "On Student Discipline"
Attendance Requirement:	Yes
Course Description:	Structure of the Earth. Geological cycles, minerals and rocks. External processes on land and in the sea. Internal processes, including deformation of rocks and earthquakes. Topics of interest to Civil Engineering students. Introduction Soil Mechanics, Basic Properties of Soils, Effective Stress, Seepage,Consolidation Theory, Shear Strength, Lateral Earth Pressure, Stability of Slopes.
Course Objectives:	The main objectives of a Soil Mechanics course are to provide a foundational understanding of soil as an engineering material, including its physical properties, classification, and behavior under load. Students learn to analyze soil properties through classification schemes and laboratory tests, understand the role of water through permeability and seepage principles, and calculate soil strength and deformation through stress-strain-strength relationships, consolidation, and shear strength concepts.

BASIC CONCEPTS OF THE COURSE

1	Soil & Rock Mechanics: Geotechnical engineers work with natural earth materials, understanding their physical and mechanical properties (density, permeability, shear strength) to predict their response to loads and environmental conditions.
2	Site Investigation: This involves exploring subsurface conditions through methods like soil test borings and test pits to collect samples for analysis.
3	Lab Testing: Samples are tested in a controlled environment to measure properties such as shear strength, compressibility, and permeability.
4	Bearing Capacity: This is the ability of the soil or rock to support loads without shear failure, a crucial factor in foundation design.
5	Groundwater: Analyzing the influence of groundwater, including groundwater flow, is essential for geotechnical projects.
6	Ground Improvement: Techniques are used to enhance the engineering properties of problematic soils to make them suitable for construction.

COURSE OUTLINE

Week	Topics
1	Origin of Soil and Grain / Rock Cycle and the Origin of Soil / Soil–Particle Size / Clay Minerals / Specific Gravity (Gs) / Mechanical Analysis of Soil / Particle–Size Distribution Curve /Particle Shape
2	Weight–Volume Relationships - Weight–Volume Relationships /Relationships among Unit Weight, Void Ratio, Moisture Content,and Specific Gravity /Relationships among Unit Weight, Porosity, and Moisture Content / Various Unit-Weight Relationships / Relative Density
3	Plasticity and Structure of Soil - Liquid Limit (LL) / Plastic Limit (PL) / Shrinkage Limit (SL) /Liquidity Index and Consistency Index / Activity / Plasticity Chart / Soil Structure Classification of Soil - Textural Classification / Classification by Engineering Behavior / AASHTO Classification System / Unified Soil Classification System
4	Soil Compaction - General Principles / Standard Proctor Test / Factors Affecting Compaction / Modified Proctor Test / Structure of Compacted Clay Soil / Effect of Compaction on Cohesive Soil Properties / Field Compaction / Specifications for Field Compaction / Determination of Field Unit Weight of Compaction / Compaction of Organic Soil and Waste Materials / Special Compaction Techniques
5	Permeability - Bernoulli’s Equation / Darcy’s Law / Hydraulic Conductivity / Laboratory Determination of Hydraulic Conductivity / Relationships for Hydraulic Conductivity—Granular Soil - Cohesive Soils / Directional Variation of Permeability / Equivalent Hydraulic Conductivity in Stratified Soil / Permeability Test in the Field by Pumping from Wells /In Situ Hydraulic Conductivity of Compacted Clay Soils
6	Seepage - Laplace’s Equation of Continuity / Flow Nets / Uplift Pressure Under Hydraulic Structures / Seepage Through an Earth Dam on an Impervious Base In Situ Stresses - Stresses in Saturated Soil without Seepage - with Upward/ Downward Seepage/ Seepage Force / Effective Stress in Partially Saturated Soil
7	Midterm exam
8	Stresses in a Soil Mass - Normal and Shear Stresses on a Plane / The Pole Method of Finding Stresses Along a Plane / Stresses Caused by a Point Load / Stress Caused by a Line Load / Vertical Stress Caused by a Horizontal Line Load /Vertical Stress Caused by a Strip Load (Finite Width and Infinite Length) /Vertical Stress Due to Embankment Loading / Vertical Stress Below the Center of a Uniformly Loaded /Vertical Stress at Any Point Below a Uniformly Loaded Circular Area / Vertical Stress Caused by a Rectangularly Loaded Area / Stress Isobars /Influence Chart for Vertical Pressure
9	Compressibility of Soil - Contact Pressure and Settlement Profile / Fundamentals of Consolidation / One-Dimensional Laboratory Consolidation Test / Normally Consolidated and Overconsolidated Clays / Calculation of Settlement from One-Dimensional Primary Consolidation /Compression Index (Cc) / Swell Index (Cs) / Secondary Consolidation Settlement / Time Rate of Consolidation /Coefficient of Consolidation /Calculation of Consolidation Settlement Under a Foundation /Methods for Accelerating Consolidation Settlement / Pre-compression
10	Shear Strength of Soil - Mohr–Coulomb Failure Criterion / Inclination of the Plane of Failure Caused by Shear / Laboratory Tests for Determination of Shear Strength Parameters / Direct Shear Test / Drained Direct Shear Test on Saturated Sand and Clay / General Comments on Direct Shear Test / Triaxial Shear Test—General / Consolidated-Drained Triaxial Test / Consolidated-Undrained Triaxial Test / Unconsolidated-Undrained Triaxial Test /Unconfined Compression Test on Saturated Clay /Empirical Relationships Between Undrained Cohesion (cu) and Effective Overburden Pressure / Shear Strength of Unsaturated Cohesive Soils
11	Lateral Earth Pressure: At-Rest, Rankine, and Coulomb - Earth Pressure At-Rest / Earth Pressure At-Rest for Partially Submerged Soil /Rankine’s Theory of Active Pressure /Theory of Rankine’s Passive Pressure /Yielding of Wall of Limited Height /A Generalized Case for Rankine Active and Passive Pressures—Granular Backfill / Diagrams for Lateral Earth-Pressure Distribution Against Retaining Walls / Coulomb’s Passive Pressure / Active Force on Retaining Walls with Earthquake Forces /Common Types of Retaining Walls in the Field
12	Slope Stability - Introduction—Modes of Slope Failure / Factor of Safety / Stability of Infinite Slopes / Finite Slopes—General / Ordinary Method of Slices / Bishop’s Simplified Method of Slices / A Case History of Slope Failure
13	Landfill Liners and Geosynthetics - Landfill Liners—Overview / Compaction of Clay Soil for Clay Liner Construction / Geosynthetics / Geotextiles / Geomembranes / Geonets /Clay Liner and Single Geomembrane Liner Systems /Recent Advances in the Liner Systems for Landfills / Leachate Removal Systems / Closure of Landfills
14	Final Exam

Prerequisite(s):	NA
Textbook(s):	Fundamentals of Geotechnical Engineering, Braja. Das. 3rd Edition
Additional Literature:	NA
Laboratory Work:	Yes
Computer Usage:	Yes
Others:	No

COURSE LEARNING OUTCOMES

1	Identify and classify soils: Students will learn how to describe and classify different types of soil based on their physical characteristics, such as particle size, composition, and index properties.
2	Analyze soil composition: Be able to calculate key phase parameters, including water content, void ratio, and degree of saturation.
3	Understand effective stress: Explain and apply the principle of effective stress to calculate stresses in a soil mass from surface loads.
4	Explain soil compaction: Understand the process of soil compaction and identify suitable equipment for field applications

COURSE CONTRIBUTION TO... PROGRAM COMPETENCIES (Blank : no contribution, 1: least contribution ... 5: highest contribution)

No	Program Competencies	Cont.
Bachelor in Civil Engineering (3 years) Program
1	an ability to apply knowledge of mathematics, science, and engineering	5
2	an ability to design a system, component, or process to meet desired needs	4
3	an ability to function on multidisciplinary teams	3
4	an ability to identify, formulate, and solve engineering problems	5
5	an understanding of professional and ethical responsibility	3
6	an ability to communicate effectively	3
7	the broad education necessary to understand the impact of engineering solutions in a global and societal context	2
8	a recognition of the need for, and an ability to engage in life long learning	1
9	a knowledge of contemporary issues	4
10	an ability to use the techniques, skills, and modern engineering tools necessary for engineering practice	5
11	skills in project management and recognition of international standards and methodologies	4

COURSE EVALUATION METHOD

Method	Quantity	Percentage
Midterm Exam(s)	1	30
Quiz	4	5
Final Exam	1	40
Attendance		10
	Total Percent:	100%

ECTS (ALLOCATED BASED ON STUDENT WORKLOAD)

Activities	Quantity	Duration(Hours)	Total Workload(Hours)
Course Duration (Including the exam week: 16x Total course hours)	16	5	80
Hours for off-the-classroom study (Pre-study, practice)	10	1	10
Mid-terms	1	15	15
Assignments	1	4	4
Final examination	1	16	16
Other			0
Total Work Load:			125
Total Work Load/25(h):			5
ECTS Credit of the Course:			5

CONCLUDING REMARKS BY THE COURSE LECTURER