Introduction to Soils and Aggregate: The Scoop on Dirt

Part 1: Basic Soils

• Soils 101 – soils are a 3-phase material, they are a natural material, we use a lot of empirical data to predict what soils will do, terminology we use to describe soils (particle size – clay, silt, sand, gravel), Sieve Analysis, Soil Classification
• Soils and Water- talk about the effect that water can have on soils, particularly fine-grained soils. Go over plasticity and Atterberg limits and what they mean when working with soils.

Part 2 – Compaction of Soil

• Compaction and Strength – Relate how the density / degree of compaction of a soil effects that soils strength and permeability. – Talk about void ratio and how we generally want soils to be compacted close to their maximum dry density.
• Proctor Testing – Describe the process of Proctor testing and how maximum dry density and optimum water content is calculated.
• Field compaction – Go over some best practices for compacting in the field to ensure we approach the maximum dry density.

Lindsay Ivey-Burden

Dr. Lindsay Ivey-Burden is a faculty member in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Virginia, where she has been teaching since 2012.  Dr. Ivey Burden earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in civil engineering at the University of Louisville and her Ph.D at the Georgia Institute of Technology.  Dr. Ivey Burden specializes in geotechnical engineering and teaches courses in soil mechanics, foundation design, and laboratory testing.  Her current research activities are in the areas of infrastructure management/ risk analysis, and geophysical testing.

Beginners and employees that are not exposed to current soil and aggregate industry practices

The following registration fees cover the session, all course materials and meals:

Local Government: $75.00
State/Federal: $125.00
Private Industry: $300.00

Click here for UVA TTA's general registration information, cancellation policy, and refund policy. UVA TTA accepts the following credit cards: American Express, VISA, MasterCard, and Discover. Credit card information cannot be taken over the phone. Alternatively, after registering you can print out a voucher to send in with your payment. After you have completed the transaction you will receive an automatically generated email confirming registration and payment if applicable. Final confirmation and instructions will be sent out during the week prior to the class date.