Academic and Resource Planning Division

To: Dean, ARP Division Date:26.04.2017

Through: _____________________

Form for changing the description of a course

1. Name of Department and campus proposing the change: Civil Engineering, Hyderabad, Pilani, and Dubai

2. Details of the course for which change in description (s) is (are) being sought:

S.NO. Course No. Name of Course L P U

CE F243 Soil Mechanics 3 1 4

3. Existing course description(write topics only):

Preview of Geotechnical Problems in Civil Engineering and Infrastructure development, Origin and classification
of soils; physicochemical properties, index properties of soil, Stresses within a soil, effective stress principle, Soil -
water systems - capillarity, flow, Darcys law, permeability, and tests for its determination, different heads,
piping, quicksand condition, seepage, flow nets, flow through dams, filters, Compressibility and consolidation
characteristics, over consolidation ratio, determination of coefficients of consolidation and secondary
compression (creep), consolidation under construction loading, 3-D consolidation, Shear Strength and Mohr-
Coulomb strength criterion, direct and triaxial shear tests, drained, consolidated undrained and undrained tests,
strength of loose and dense sands, NC and OC soils, dilation, pore pressures, Skemptons coefficients.
Compaction characteristics, water content - dry unit weight relationships, OMC, maximum dry unit weight, field
compaction, quality control, etc. Characterization of ground, site investigations, methods of drilling, sampling, in
situ test - SPT, CPT, plate load and dynamic tests, in-situ permeability and groundwater level, etc. Stress in soils
due to different applied loading conditions, Settlements, tilt and rotation of foundations, immediate settlement,
elastic theories, consolidation and creep settlements, methods based on in situ tests.

4. Proposed course description:

Introduction, Origin and classification of soils;, index properties of soil, Compaction characteristics of different
soils, lab and field compaction, quality control, Effective stress principle, capillarity, Darcys law, permeability,
Seepage through soils: piping, quicksand condition, , flow nets, flow through dams, filters, Stress in soils due to
applied loads, Boussinesq equation, Newmarks Influence Chart, Approximate Method, Compressibility and
consolidation characteristics, Consolidation Settlement, Shear Strength and Mohr-Coulomb strength criterion,
direct, UCS and triaxial shear tests, strength of loose and dense sands, pore pressures, Skemptons coefficients.
Site investigations, methods of drilling, sampling, in situ test - SPT, CPT, plate load and geophysical tests,
immediate settlement based on elastic theories and in-situ tests.

5. Justification for the change in course description:

Curriculum review experts and CCDCA observed that the existing course content is too large to be effectively
taught over 41-42 lectures, with adequate importance to the critical topics.
Soil Compaction can be moved before consolidation.
 Academic and Resource Planning Division

Stress in soils due to different applied loading conditions, Settlements, tilt and rotation of foundations,
immediate settlement, elastic theories--- This part may be removed as this is taught in Foundation Engineering
(CE F313).
The following chapter may be introduced: Vertical stresses below applied loads, Boussinesq Equations,
Newmarks Influence Chart, Approximate Method.

6. Have the proposed changes been discussed in Departmental committee on academics (DCA ) and
the cross campus Departmental Committee on Academics (CCDCA)?
Yes. And Yes. Consensus reached.

Signature of Head of the department

[A signed hard copy of this form is to be submitted to campus Associate Dean, ARP for record. A
softcopy in MS word with file name as Department Name_Campus (eg. EEE_Pilani) to be sent
to arp@pilani.bits-pilani.ac.in]