CIEN E4241: Geotechnical Engineering Fundamentals

Course Overview

This course provides a comprehensive introduction to both the fundamental theories and practical applications of geotechnical engineering. It will equip you with the essential skills needed for careers in design, construction, research, or other civil engineering disciplines. Whether pursuing paths in geotechnical, structural, or general civil engineering, you will gain a strong foundation applicable across the industry.

You will learn to develop soil design parameters from field and laboratory testing, understand core soil mechanics concepts, and apply them to real-world problems such as bearing capacity and settlement analysis for shallow and deep foundations. The course also covers advanced topics including pile driving analysis, static and dynamic load testing, and foundation systems such as micropiles and rock sockets.

You will also gain experience in designing retaining walls (cantilevered and anchored), braced excavations, slope stability analysis, earth anchor systems, and more—under both static and seismic conditions. Exposure to widely used geotechnical software, such as APile, LPile, Group, Slide2, Prosheet, CWALSHT, Plaxis, ensures you develop practical, industry-standard skills.

Course Instructor

Songtao Yang

Adjunct Professor & Principal Geotechnical Engineer, Jacobs

Yang is a geotechnical engineering specialist with 20 years working experience with Jacobs in providing engineering consulting service to both waterfront and on-land structures. He has worked on some of the largest waterfront structures in the US, Middle East and Central America. His projects include waterfront piers and wharves, container terminals, LNG terminals, cruiser terminals, dry docks, flooding wall protection, bridge and building foundations, highways and tunnels. His work includes shallow and deep foundation design, static and seismic soil structure interaction analyses, slope and seepage analyses, retaining wall design, ground improvement, excavation support design, and preparing technical proposals, specifications and reports, planning geotechnical investigations and testing. 

Yang is a Licensed Professional Engineer in New York and Maryland, with a PhD in Geotechnical Engineering from Columbia University, an MS in Structural Engineering and a BS in Civil Engineering from Tsinghua University.