An Introduction to Laboratory Testing of Soils

J. Paul Guyer, P.E., R.A., Fellow ASCE, Fellow AEI

Course Outline

1.  Introduction
2.  Index Properties Tests
3.  Permeability Tests
4.  Consolidation Tests
5.  Shear Strength Tests
6.  Dynamic Testing
7.  Tests on Compacted Soils
8.  Tests on Rock

This course includes a multiple-choice quiz at the end, which is designed to enhance the understanding of the course materials.

Learning Objective

At the conclusion of this course, the student will:

• Learn how dynamic tests are used to evaluate foundation support characteristics under repeated loadings such as a drop forge, traffic, or earthquake; and the associated risks of liquefaction;
• Learn about correlations between index and structural properties showing the probable range of test values and relation of parameters;
• Learn how grain-size analyses may be applied to seepage and drainage problems;
• Learn how permeability of fine-grained soils (undisturbed or compacted) generally is computed from consolidation test data or by direct measurement on consolidation or triaxial shear specimens;
• Learn how one-dimensional consolidation tests with complete lateral confinement are used to determine total compression of fine-grained soil under an applied load;
• Learn how to estimate preconsolidation pressure using graphical determination from a semi-logarithmic pressure-void ratio curve;
• Learn about the coefficient of consolidation;
• Learn how the shear strength of soil is required for the analysis of foundation and earthwork stability problems;
• Learn about the different types of shear tests;
• Learn about direct shear tests;
• Learn about unconfined compression tests;
• Learn about triaxial compression tests;
• Learn about the Unconsolidated-Undrained (UU) or Quick (Q) triaxial compression test;
• Learn about the Consolidated-Undrained (CU) or R triaxial compression test; and
• Learn about the Consolidated-Drained (CD) or S triaxial compression test.

Intended Audience

This course is intended for civil engineers and other geotechnical and construction professionals needing an introductory understanding of laboratory soil tests.

Benefit for Attendee

Civil engineers and other geotechnical and construction professionals will gain an understanding of the principles and practices of laboratory testing of soils.

Course Introduction

This is an introduction to the fundamentals of the principles and practices of laboratory soil testing.

About Course Author

Paul Guyer is a registered mechanical engineer, civil engineer, fire protection engineer and architect with over 35 years experience in the design of buildings and related infrastructure.  For an additional 9 years he was a senior-level advisor to the California Legislature on infrastructure and capital outlay issues.  He has designed and supervised the design of hundreds of construction projects requiring the preparation of detailed working drawings and specifications for federal, state and local public agencies and private companies.  He is a graduate of Stanford University and has held numerous national, state and local positions with the American Society of Civil Engineers and National Society of Professional Engineers.

Course Content

The course content is contained in the following PDF file:

An Introduction to Laboratory Testing of Soils

Please click on the above underlined hypertext to view, download or print the document for your study. Because of the large file size, we recommend that you first save the file to your computer by right clicking the mouse and choosing "Save Target As ...", and then open the file in Adobe Acrobat Reader. If you still experience any difficulty in downloading or opening this file, you may need to close some applications or reboot your computer to free up some memory.

 

Course Summary

This course will give you an introduction to the principles and practices of laboratory testing of soils. You will learn about index property, permeability, consolidation, and shear strength tests.  You will be introduced to dynamic testing methods, and tests on compacted soils. You will learn about laboratory equipment and test procedures. 

Quiz

Once you finish studying the above course content, you need to take a quiz to obtain the PDH credits.

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DISCLAIMER: The materials contained in the online course are not intended as a representation or warranty on the part of PDH Center or any other person/organization named herein. The materials are for general information only. They are not a substitute for competent professional advice. Application of this information to a specific project should be reviewed by a registered architect and/or professional engineer/surveyor. Anyone making use of the information set forth herein does so at their own risk and assumes any and all resulting liability arising therefrom.

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