Basic Soil Mechanics Related to Earth Dams: Agenda
Basic Soil Mechanics Related to Earth Dams is a Virtual Seminar. All times listed below are Eastern.
MAY 26, 2026
10:30 AM - 5:30 PM
Topics Included Today:
- Weight-volume and Mass Density Relations of Soil
- Identification and Classification of Soils: Particle Characteristics and Consistency
- Compaction: Theory of Compaction, Laboratory and Field Procedures
- Compaction: Measurement of Field Density and Specifications
- Hydraulic Conductivity: Darcy’s Law and flow through porous media
- Hydraulic Conductivity: Measurement of k from Laboratory and Field Tests
- Dispersive Clay Soils: Crumb & Pinhole Tests
- Geostatic Stresses in Soils
- Induced Stress Distributions
Two 30-minute breaks and occasional smaller breaks are provided during the day.
may 27, 2026
10:30 AM - 5:30 PM
Topics Included Today:
- Theories of Consolidation
- Compression, Stress History, Settlement Calculation
- Time Rate of Consolidation, Consolidation Test, Collapsible Soils
- Workshop on Effective Stress and Settlement
- Shear Strength: Mohr Circle, Envelope, Stress Paths
- Critical Void Ratio, Volume Change, and Pore Pressures
- Drained vs. Undrained (Total and Effective Strengths)
- Workshop (Mohr’s Circle, Determination and Selection of Strength Parameters
Two 30-minute breaks and additional smaller breaks are provided during the day.
may 28, 2026
10:30 AM - 5:30 PM
Topics Included Today:
- Laboratory Testing for Shear Strength of Soil (Direct Shear Testing, Triaxial Testing UU, CU, CD, UCT)
- Laboratory Testing for Shear Strength of Soil
- Shear Strength Correlations
- Assign Lab Tests
- Workshop Shear Strength
- Lateral Earth Pressures (At rest, active, and passive conditions; Rankine Theory; Coulomb Theory; Effects of Wall Friction; Procedures for Developing Lateral Earth Pressure Diagram; Review of Lateral Earth Pressure and Applications; Chart Solutions)
Two 30-minute breaks and additional smaller breaks are provided during the day
may 29, 2026
10:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Topics Included Today:
- Workshop (Lateral Earth Pressures)
- Field Exploration Methods
- Techniques: Drilling and Sampling (Geophysical Techniques, Specifying, Controlling and Data Presentation, Methods of Sampling and Sample Disturbance, Data Presentation)
- In-situ Field Testing (Introduction, Penetration Testing: SPT and CPT, Other Field Testing, Measurement of Pore Water Pressures)
Two 30-minute breaks and additional smaller breaks are provided during the day
*Registered attendees will be provided with a detailed agenda before the course.
