Civil & Environmental Engrg 629 - ClayMinerals&Micro/NanoChrz

This course is designed to enhance the knowledge base and analytical skills of engineering graduate students whose major interests are in geotechnical engineering and civil infrastructure materials. It can also be a selective for graduate students from geology (geosciences) and soil sciences. Major topics include the fundamentals of clay mineralogy, the mechanical and engineering properties of clay minerals, and a suite of micro/nano characterization techniques for clay minerals and other fine-grained geomaterials. Some latest developments in micro/nano instrumentation such as nanocompression and nanoindentation and computation such as molecular dynamics will be introduced as well.