Undergraduate Courses
CE170A – Infrastructure Sensing and Modeling – University of California at Berkeley
Introduction to sensing and modeling of infrastructure system; Imagery analysis (point clouds, lidar, UAV-based structure for motion, satellite); Geophysics, synthetic-aperture radar analysis, time histories analyses); Sensor systems (distributed fiber optics, wireless sensor network, MEMS, conventional); Structural health monitoring and analysis; Infrastructure network analysis (graph theory, GIS, simulations); entrepreneurship in infrastructure and smart cities industry. See a video about the course.
CE179. Geosystems Design – University of California at Berkeley
Landslides, shear strength (drained, undrained), laboratory an field testing for strength assessment, limit equilibrium slope stability (infinite, planar, rotational), landslide monitoring and stabilization, dams, seepage analyses, filters, lateral earth pressures, retaining walls, gravity and cantilever walls, deep excavations, bearing capacity and settlements for shallow foundations, introduction and fundamentals of deep foundations design
CE 176. Environmental Geotechnics (3 credits) – University of California at Berkeley
The course focuses on waste containment, contaminant transport and contaminant remediation. It includes rock and soil phases, coupled processes and mass transfer in soils. Soil mineralogy, and pore-fluid-mineral interactions, double layer theory and multiphase flow. Chemical transport, groundwater contamination and advection dispersion, diffusion, and retardation. Landfill anatomy, and containment systems. Geosynthetics and compacted clay liners. Behavior of compacted soils. Cover systems, cutoff walls. Bio-activities in soils and wase, biodegradation in soils and waste. Methane emissions and case histories of landfill failures. Fundamentals of remediation with a focus on site characterization, risk assessment and remedial actions such as soil vapor extraction, soil washing, stabilization and solidification, electrokinetic remediation, vitrification and phytoremediation.
CE172: Rock Mechanics (3 credits) – University of California at Berkeley
Introduction and Applications of Rock Mechanics , Nature of rocks, Anisotropy, Rock Properties and Testing, Stress-Strain behavior of rocks , Failure criteria (extended Mohr-Coulomb, Griffith, Hoek and Brown), discontinuity characterization, Rockmass classification systems (RMR, SMR, Q), Rock Site Investigation, Intro to Rock Slope Stability – 2D and 3D Rock mass stability, stereonets, Plane and Wedge Slope Stability, Toppling, Deformability of and Modulus Rocks, In situ Stress Measurement, Rock Stabilization, Slope Excavation – Mechanical and Explosives, Foundations on Rocks intro and shallow foundations bearing capacity and settlements, Foundations on Rocks: Deep Foundations (shafts), Rockfalls
CEE 345. Geotechnical Engineering (4 credits) – University of Michigan
Soil origins, classification and index properties; phase relationships; earth moving and soil compaction; groundwater seepage; compressibility and consolidation; settlement; shear strength and failure; applications to foundations; retaining structures and slopes. Lecture and laboratory.
Graduate Courses
CE270: Advanced Geomechanics (3 credits) – University of California at Berkeley
Intro -Motivation, Mineralogy, Soil Compression, Consolidation, Wick drains & Consolidation Monitoring and Mitigation, field creep and CRS consolidation, Intro to Shear Resistance of soils, , the Soil’s state of Stress , Shear strength of soils, Triaxial testing (CD, CU, UU), Critical State Soil Mechanics, Simple Shear Testing (CL and CV), In Situ Testing, pore pressure generation in soils, SHANSHEP, Intro to finite element modeling using Plaxis, Stress paths, CSL vs. VCL line; strain rates; friction decrease with confining stress ; unsaturated soil mechanics on strength, Slope Stability, selecting Drained vs. Undrained Strength, Limit Equilibrium Methods, LEA using Geostudio, Infinite Slope LEA, Planar & Rotational LEA, Rotational LEA & GeoStudio Demo, Polygon LEA, Handling Water Pressures in LEA, slope stabilization
CE273: Advanced Geotechnical Testing and Design – University of California at Berkeley
This course has four major objectives: (1) to learn critical aspects of advanced geotechnical testing, both in the laboratory and the field; (2) to develop skills in interpreting and using “real” test data; (3) to apply the relevant analysis and design techniques to a design project, and (4) to provide the opportunity and incentive for preparation of a realistic engineering report. Topics covered include: Site Characterization, Field logging and Sampling, SPT, CPT, Hands-on field deployment: Drilling, undisturbed sampling, field vane shear, DCPs, Shear wave velocity & MASW, TX (UU, CU, CD), ICL & CRS Consolidation, Laboratory Vane, cyclic triaxial testing, monotonic and cyclic simple Shear Testing; data synthesis of laboratory and field data, moving from field and lab data to Design, behavior of compacted Soils (and 15 point method), Permeability testing, levee design considerations (settlement, stability)
CEE 542. Soil and Site Improvement (3 credits) – University of Michigan
Soil Compaction & Elements of Soil Mineralogy; Admixture Stabilization: Concepts and Surface Methods; Biotechnical and Soil Bioengineering Slope Stabilization; Soil Improvement at Depth (Review of Theory of Consolidation & Advanced Topics; Precompression; Precompression with Vertical Drains; Stone Columns; Deep Mixing/Lime-Cement Columns; Jet Grouting; Electro-Osmosis; Vibro-Compaction Methods; Deep Dynamic Compaction; Explosive Compaction; Soil Improvement for Mitigation of Seismic Risk; Grouting (Chemical or Permeation, Compaction, Jet, Cement or Slurry, Fracture); Geosynthetics for Soil Reinforcement; Reinforced Soil Structures.
CEE 544. Rock Mechanics (3 credits) – University of Michigan
Rock identification and physical characteristics; Rock structure characterization; Properties of rocks; Laboratory testing of rocks; Rock failure theories; Strength of rock, rockmass, and joints; Stress-strain-time behavior of rocks; In-situ stresses & measurements; Deformability of rock masses & rock mass modulus; Stereographic Projection; Rock Stability: Plane failure, wedge failure, toppling, slumping; Rock mass stability; Rock fall analyses; Rock slope stabilization; Foundations on rock; Rock excavation, Rock Site Investigation
CEE 546: Slopes, Dams and Retaining Structures (3 credits) – University of Michigan
The course covers slope stability, seepage analyses and pore pressure calculation, retaining structures as well as fundamentals of dam engineering. Within slope stability, limit equilibrium methods for Slope Stability Analyses and application using manual techniques and computer programs, shear strength of soils, factor of safety and reliability based approaches as well as slope stabilization and repair. In seepage analyses, the influence of water on slope stability is covered, and the use of numerical methods to estimate flow of water and pore pressures, internal erosion, piping and uplift. In retaining structures, principles of Lateral Earth Pressure Theory is covered first, followed by design of “Rigid” and Flexible Retaining Walls, Mechanically Stabilized Earth Walls, Excavation Bracing, and Slurry Walls. Finally within dam engineering, Site Investigation Issues, Embankment types and Zoning, Design and Construction of Filters, Dam Foundations, and seepage and stability considerations specifically for dams.
CEE 549: Geoenvironmental Engineering (3 credits) – University of Michigan
The course covers the fundamentals of siting, design and construction of waste containment systems (solid and liquid wastes), solid waste mechanics, design of liquid barriers, use of soils and geosynthetics as liquid barriers or conduits, fundamentals of contaminated site remediation with emphasis on soil remediation technologies (e.g. soil vapor extraction; soil washing; stabilization; electrokinetic remediation; thermal desorption; vitrification; bioremediation; phytoremediation; soil fracturing), as well as other emerging technologies such as reuse of waste materials, fundamentals of bioreactor landfills and post-closure development of landfill. This course intends to be attended by both geotechnical and environmental students so that they can successfully tackle these types of projects that are interdisciplinary in nature. Students from chemical engineering, nuclear engineering, and urban planning have also taken this course.
Webinars
The Use of Small Unmanned Aerial Vehicles for Post-Disaster Geotechnical Reconnaissance
Webinar as part of the webinars established by the Geotechnical Engineering Extreme Events Reconnaissance (GEER) Association, delivered with colleague Prof. Kevin Franke from Bringham Young University on April 20th 2016.