Implementation of the use of computing and software in undergraduate Soil Mechanics courses

Abstract

To respond to the industry’s increasing demands, it is generally accepted that Civil Engineering graduates and postgraduates should have broad technical knowledge, together with significant soft skills. In two courses on Soil Mechanics as part of the degree in Civil Engineering of University of Aveiro, Portugal, students under-take projects using general computing and specific geotechnical software that both enhance their technical learning and develop soft skills. Critical thinking is required for the validation of “blackbox” numerical results by making comparisons with theoretical solutions, in reflection on the limitations of numerical tools, as well as for estimation of values for input parameters for analyses