All structural measures and many land treatment measures involve the use of soil as a building material or a supporting medium. Soil engineering is the application of physical, chemical, and mechanical properties of soil to its use as a construction material and as a foundation for structures. This course is about elementary soil engineering; and includes the following major sections: (I) an explanation of basic soil concepts that relate to engineering; (2) an engineering classification and description system for soil; (3) guides for estimating soil strength, permeability, erosion resistance, and other performance characteristics. It also discusses site investigation and presents a procedure for the preliminary embankment design of earth dams..

Topics:

• Basic Concepts in Soil Engineering
• The Unified Soil Classification System Field Identification and Description of Soils
• Estimation of Soil Performance and Performance Requirements
• Preliminary Embankment Design for Earth Dams

Intended Audience: This course is intended for Geotechnical, Civil, Environmental, Water Resources, and other engineers whose job description requires a general knowledge of soil engineering principles. Publication Source: USDA NRCS