PE Geotechnical study plan

Derive total, pore pressure, and effective vertical stress profiles from three boring logs you draw yourself, including a capillary-zone and a perched-water case.

Compute primary consolidation settlement and time rate (U vs. T) for a two-layer profile using your own compressibility inputs.

Classify 12 soils by USCS from gradation curves and Atterberg limits you tabulate, and state the engineering implication of each classification.

Interpret Mohr-Coulomb strength parameters from triaxial and direct shear data sets you construct, distinguishing drained from undrained response.

Select design shear strengths for a given site by justifying consolidation state, drainage condition, and test type.

Apply bearing capacity equations for strip, square, and circular footings with eccentric and inclined loading, and check against settlement control.

Distinguish allowable-stress, LRFD, and global-factor approaches and compute a footing size each way.

Build a decision flow for choosing spread footing vs. mat vs. deep foundation from load and soil conditions.

Compute single-pile axial capacity in sand and clay by both static analysis and in-situ test correlations, and reconcile the difference.

Compute pile group capacity and group settlement, and apply the appropriate group efficiency reasoning.

Evaluate downdrag, uplift, and lateral load resistance for a pile, and state when each governs.

Compare driven vs. bored vs. micropile behavior and select a foundation type for three contrasting profiles.

Design a cantilever and a braced retaining wall: compute lateral earth pressures, check overturning, sliding, bearing, and global stability.

Compute active, passive, and at-rest pressures for layered and sloping backfill with surcharge and water, using Rankine and Coulomb and stating when each applies.

Determine anchorage and strut loads for a braced excavation, including apparent earth pressure diagrams.

Re-drill the weakest 10 problems from weeks 2 and 3 to full correctness.

Perform infinite-slope and circular-failure slope stability analyses by hand for a layered profile, and compare with a method-of-slices framework.

Compute factor of safety under rapid drawdown, seismic (pseudo-static), and surcharge loading conditions.

Evaluate slope repair options (regrading, drainage, reinforcement, retaining structure) and quantify the factor-of-safety gain of each.

Design a geosynthetic-reinforced or soil-nail slope with pullout and facing checks.

Plan a subsurface exploration program from a stated structure type: boring count, depth, spacing, and in-situ tests justified.

Read and critique a boring log and CPT sounding: identify strata, groundwater, sample disturbance, and any inconsistencies.

Specify laboratory tests for a given design question and state the acceptance criteria for each.

Assess liquefaction potential and site class for a sand profile using penetration resistance and groundwater depth.

Interpret a geotechnical report's recommendations and translate them into construction specifications and verification testing.

Identify ground improvement methods matched to a stated problem and justify the selection quantitatively.

Describe construction observation and instrumentation programs: what is monitored, at what frequency, and what triggers action.

Evaluate dewatering and excavation support needs for a below-grade structure, including heave and piping checks.

Re-work every missed problem from weeks 1 through 7 and write a corrected solution for each.

Complete a full-length timed practice exam you author from your own notes, at exam pace.

Review the highest-frequency failure modes you logged and confirm each is now resolved.

Consolidate all reference equations and decision rules into a single indexed sheet you can navigate in under 30 seconds.