Overall, I found the course very well organized and genuinely useful. It was not just about understanding the material for exams, but also about learning things that will actually be helpful later in practice. I especially appreciated that some extra resources were shared, like charts and tables that may be useful in real work in the future. That made the course feel more practical and relevant, and it showed that the goal was not only for us to succeed in the class, but also to leave with knowledge we can keep using afterward.

In this class, we had 8 assignments (since there are 8 chapters) and a design exercise project divided into 3 milestones, each due at different times during the semester. I really liked how the 3 milestones were spread out, and how we were given detailed feedback on each one about what needed to be fixed. In the end, these milestones were then used for the final report after applying all the feedback from the TA, which I found really helpful. It made the workload feel much more manageable and stopped us from ending up with one huge project at the end of the semester. A lot of my classmates felt the same way too. The assignments were also really helpful for preparing for the quizzes and midterm. They helped me get used to the logic of the assessments, which was a really good thing. Attend...read more

I also think the professor’s teaching method is perfect. He really gave us everything we needed to prepare well for the assessments. His teaching style kind of forces you to come to class, and even as someone who does not usually like attending classes, I still think that is a good thing. I think the professor’s experience in geotechnical engineering also really helps us as students, because he gives a lot of context, both theoretical and practical. That made the course content much clearer and more meaningful to me, and it really helped me understand not just the equations, but also where they come from and how they apply in real situations. He also provided additional information that was not necessarily required for the class itself, but very useful for us in the future when we start...read more

Professor Meguid is truly an amazing instructor for CIVE 416, just like he was for CIVE 311. No matter if the class is at 8:30 in the morning or late in the evening, he knows exactly how to catch your attention. You’ll never feel bored. His teaching style is so effective that the material just sticks with you; you don't need to spend endless hours outside of class to understand the concepts. The class material itself is well-balanced — not too easy, not too hard, and he presents it in a way that just makes sense. Professor Meguid is one of the very few professors whose lectures I genuinely enjoyed and learned a lot from. If I ever get the chance to take another course he teaches, I would definitely sign up without hesitation. I highly recommend taking this class if you have the opportunity...read more

As someone who did not really enjoy CIVE 311, this course has far outdone my expectations. Professor Meguid is an excellent professor, and he teaches things in a way that is both engaging and easy to understand. Highly recommend taking it if you have the chance! Course pack is structured really well and is easy to follow too

Content is about the same as previously mentioned on this page.

Best prof in the faculty

Attend the lectures! They are definitely worth attending

A nice follow-up for CIVE 311 where you apply soil mechanics/hydraulics principles to designing earth-retaining structures and foundations, as well as investigating soil drainage properties and slope failure mechanisms. Buy the course pack and take notes with it.

Geotechnical Properties of Soils: effective stresses, consolidation settlement, shear strength, steady state seepage, 1D flow, flow nets. Stability of Slopes: factor of safety, infinite slopes, finite slopes, Swedish Circle Method, stability number charts, Ordinary Method of Slices, Bishop Simplified Method of Slices, complete equilibrium procedures, geosynthetic-reinforced slopes and embankments. Stresses due to Applied Loads: Boussinesq Stress Distribution Equations and Influence Factors, Newmark's Chart. Shallow Foundations: bearing capacity, settlement, Terzaghi's Bearing Capacity Theory, General Bearing Capacity Equation, eccentric loading, effect of water table, Bowle's Immediate Settlement Equation, Semi-Empirical Strain Influence Factor Equation, tolerable settlement, limit stat...read more

Understanding but strict. Explains the concepts well and solves examples in class. Willing to adjust deadlines to accommodate students. Has high expectations for students to be able to independently make reasonable assumptions when solving questions.

Do all the homework and tutorial questions. Attend lectures to fill-in the course pack blanks.