PE Civil Geotechnical Formula Sheet
Civil Geo Tools

Purpose
Use this resource as a compact study outline for geotechnical formulas that commonly appear in PE Civil and FE Civil preparation. It pairs equations with the assumptions that tell you when they apply.

Formula Groups
[ ] Phase relationships: water content, void ratio, porosity, saturation, dry unit weight, and moist unit weight
[ ] Effective stress and seepage: sigma prime equals sigma minus u, hydraulic gradient, Darcy flow, and quick condition checks
[ ] Strength and stability: Mohr-Coulomb strength, bearing capacity terms, active pressure, surcharge pressure, and simple slope FS
[ ] Earthwork: relative compaction, Proctor maximum dry density, optimum moisture content, and field density checks

Study Method
[ ] Write units beside every variable before substituting numbers
[ ] Sketch the soil profile, water table, pressure diagram, or failure surface
[ ] Identify drained versus undrained behavior before choosing parameters
[ ] Practice interpreting answers, not only solving arithmetic

Engineering notes
- Formula memorization is weaker than method recognition.
- Many exam mistakes are unit mistakes or water table mistakes.
- Use calculator outputs to check your setup, then solve practice problems by hand.

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Engineering note: This resource is for educational and preliminary reference only. Adapt it to project requirements and obtain professional review where needed.