This course shares my excitement about interpreting soils as both bulk material and discrete particles. These include expanding upon concepts from undergraduate soil and solid mechanics to inform in-depth study of soil behavior. Introductory material begins with soil chemistry and physics. Mechanics, including the derivation of analytical solutions to common problems considering soil as bulk material. Particle scale characterization, including shape, roughness, and stiffness. By the end of the quarter, students should be able to:

• Apply concepts from fundamental soil chemistry and physics to explain bulk material behavior;

• Perform analytical calculations and derivations relating to the stress-strain response of soils;

• Characterize granular materials at particle scale;

• Explain fundamental concepts relating to granular mechanics.