Courses Taught:
CE 180 Geotechnical Principles: This is a four-credit required course for all civil and environmental engineering majors. The course covers basic characteristics of geological materials; soil classifications; physical, mechanical, and hydraulic properties; the effective stress principle; seepage, consolidation; stress distribution; settlement analysis; and strength of soils. The course also includes a laboratory portion, with typically six to eight laboratory exercises. Inquiry-based learning, information technology and interpersonal/communication skills are introduced through two research project, which conclude with the students writing technical papers in a technical conference format. The students are graded based on homework, lab reports, research papers, two mid-term exams and the final exam.
CE 281 Geotechnical Design: This is a three-credit course designed for seniors and graduate students. The course counts as a design elective for undergraduate students, and is listed as a service-learning course. The course covers subsurface exploration methods, analysis, design and construction aspects of shallow and deep foundations, retaining walls, and slopes. The students are graded based on homework, mid-term and final exams, and service-learning project report and presentation.
CE 001 Statics: This is a three-credit sophomore level course required by civil, environmental and mechanical engineering majors. This is the first of the four courses on mechanics. The course covers an introduction to vector mechanics; equilibrium of a particle and rigid body; centroids and distributed forces; trusses, frames, machines; bending and shear forces; friction; and moment of inertia. The students were graded based on homework, three mid-term exams, and the final exam.
CE 175 Senior Capstone Design: This is a three-credit required course for all civil and environmental engineering majors. The goal of this course is to provide an opportunity for students to experience and learn about engineering “project work” while actually doing it. The different facets of “project work” range from technical problem solving and design, to interpersonal and personal skills. Enhancing experience and learning of teamwork skills, effective communication, and decision-making is just as important as the technical design aspects of the course. In addition, the social, political, environmental, and economic aspects of the project are considered to be key components of the final report. All projects are service-learning projects done with community partners.
CE 295 Environmental Geotechnics: This is a three-credit course designed for seniors and graduate students. The course covers site characterization, site restoration, and waste disposal and containment (landfills and surface impoundments) from the perspective of modern geotechnical practice. Specific topics included fundamental issues related to regulation, waste generation and disposal, design and remediation, risk assessment framework, composition and engineering properties of waste and soils, characterization of the materials used for waste encapsulation, fate and transport of contaminants in groundwater system, introduction to cutoff walls, liners, covers and caps, and gas and leachate collection-removal systems. The students are graded based on homework, mid-term and final exams, and term project report and presentation.
CE 380 Advanced Soil Mechanics: This is a three-credit course designed mainly for graduate students interested in geotechnical engineering. This class deals with stress-strain-strength of soils; elasticity, viscoelasticity, and plasticity theories applied to geomaterials; critical state concepts, applications of limit analysis and limit equilibrium methods in analyzing stability problems in geotechnical engineering, suh as foundations, slopes and retaining structures. The students are graded based on homework, mid-term and final exams, and term project report and presentation.
CE 295 Analysis and Design of Earth Structures: This is a three-credit course designed for seniors and graduate students. The course counts as a design elective for undergraduate students. It covers analysis, design and retrofitting of embankment and dams. Specific topics include: field exploration and laboratory testing; seepage, slope stability, deformation and seismic analyses; filter design; slope projection methods (riprap, soil cement); foundation treatments; instrumentation and monitoring. The students are graded on homework and a series of three group projects.