This course introduces soil mechanics and engineering geology for geotechnical engineering applications such as
foundations, rail construction and tunnels. It considers the fundamental mechanics of soils as a heterogeneous
mixture of air, water and solid particles and the origin of these materials from their parent rocks. It analyses the
deformation of natural and man-made structures that comprise or are built upon soil, and the flow of fluids
within them. It develops an understanding of how the fundamental principles of geological sciences influence the
design and construction of engineering structures.
The course covers the fundamental multi-phase nature of soils and their origins, soil and rock description and
classification, the effective stress concept, elementary seepage and compaction problems, and the standard
soil testing techniques for analysing and determining soil properties.