CIVIL 300 : Geotechnical Engineering

Engineering

2024 Semester One (1243) (15 POINTS)

Course Prescription

Compaction, settlement and rate of consolidation. Stability analysis in geotechnical engineering, including slope stability, earth pressures on retaining structures and bearing capacity of shallow foundations. Environmental and sustainability considerations.

Course Overview

This course builds on many of the concepts covered in Introduction to Geotechnical Engineering. It develops the fundamentals for analyzing several common geotechnical problems, including compaction, consolidation settlement, slope stability, retaining walls, and foundations. Two laboratories allow students to observe real soil behaviour. This course, along with Introduction to Geotechnical Engineering, provides the foundation required for subsequent geotechnical electives, including Foundation Engineering, Geotechnical Analysis, Slope Engineering, and Ground Improvements and Geosynthetics Engineering.
Through labs, a group project, assignments, and lectures, students should become familiar with the terminology and principles of geotechnical engineering associated with each topic. They should also develop the ability to apply the concepts learned to design problems. Finally, they should develop a deepening appreciation of geotechnical engineering as a coherent body of knowledge and become aware of how it relates to other areas in Civil Engineering and Environmental Engineering.

Course Requirements

Prerequisite: CIVIL 200 Restriction: CIVIL 322

Capabilities Developed in this Course

Capability 3: Knowledge and Practice
Capability 4: Critical Thinking
Capability 5: Solution Seeking
Capability 6: Communication
Capability 7: Collaboration

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, students will be able to:
  1. Demonstrate their understanding of compaction, settlement, and consolidation. (Capability 3.1, 3.2, 4.1, 5.1, 6.1 and 7.1)
  2. Analyse simple slope stability problems. (Capability 3.1, 3.2, 4.1, 5.1, 6.1 and 7.1)
  3. Develop an understanding of earth pressures on retaining structures. (Capability 3.1, 3.2, 4.1, 5.1, 6.1 and 7.1)
  4. Analyse the bearing capacity of shallow foundations. (Capability 3.1, 3.2, 4.1, 5.1, 6.1 and 7.1)

Assessments

Assessment Type Percentage Classification
Final Exam 50% Individual Examination
Individual Assessments 10% Individual Coursework
Laboratories 10% Individual Coursework
Project 15% Group Coursework
Test 15% Individual Test
Assessment Type Learning Outcome Addressed
1 2 3 4
Final Exam
Individual Assessments
Laboratories
Project
Test
A minimum grade of 40% in the exam is required to pass the course.
Two compulsory 2 hour laboratory sessions are held. These are an integral part of the course. Completion of the laboratory requirements is necessary to pass the course - failure to complete the laboratory sessions will result in a Did Not Complete grade for the course.

Workload Expectations

This course is a 15 point course, and students are expected to spend around 10 hours per week involved in each 15 point course that they are enrolled in.

For this course, a typical student can expect around 3 hours of lectures, 3 hours of reading and thinking about the content, and 4 hours of work on laboratories, individual assessments, and/or test preparation, on average per week.

Delivery Mode

Campus Experience

Attendance is required at scheduled activities including labs to receive credit for components of the course.
Lectures will be available as recordings. Other learning activities including labs will not be available as recordings.
Attendance on campus is required for the test.
The activities for the course are scheduled as a standard weekly timetable.

Learning Resources

Course materials are made available in a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas which also includes reading lists and lecture recordings (where available).

Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.

Health & Safety

Students are expected to adhere to the guidelines outlined in the Health and Safety section of the Engineering Undergraduate Handbook.

You will be provided with necessary safety information by the MDLS for the labs.

Student Feedback

At the end of every semester students will be invited to give feedback on the course and teaching through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback and respond with summaries and actions.

Your feedback helps teachers to improve the course and its delivery for future students.

Class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the department and faculty staff-student consultative committees.

All student feedback is used to develop and evolve the content and structure of the course.

Academic Integrity

The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting their learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. This requirement also applies to sources on the internet. A student's assessed work may be reviewed for potential plagiarism or other forms of academic misconduct, using computerised detection mechanisms.

Class Representatives

Class representatives are students tasked with representing student issues to departments, faculties, and the wider university. If you have a complaint about this course, please contact your class rep who will know how to raise it in the right channels. See your departmental noticeboard for contact details for your class reps.

Inclusive Learning

All students are asked to discuss any impairment related requirements privately, face to face and/or in written form with the course coordinator, lecturer or tutor.

Student Disability Services also provides support for students with a wide range of impairments, both visible and invisible, to succeed and excel at the University. For more information and contact details, please visit the Student Disability Services’ website http://disability.auckland.ac.nz

Special Circumstances

If your ability to complete assessed coursework is affected by illness or other personal circumstances outside of your control, contact a member of teaching staff as soon as possible before the assessment is due.

If your personal circumstances significantly affect your performance, or preparation, for an exam or eligible written test, refer to the University’s aegrotat or compassionate consideration page https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/academic-information/exams-and-final-results/during-exams/aegrotat-and-compassionate-consideration.html.

This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.

Learning Continuity

In the event of an unexpected disruption, we undertake to maintain the continuity and standard of teaching and learning in all your courses throughout the year. If there are unexpected disruptions the University has contingency plans to ensure that access to your course continues and course assessment continues to meet the principles of the University’s assessment policy. Some adjustments may need to be made in emergencies. You will be kept fully informed by your course co-ordinator/director, and if disruption occurs you should refer to the university website for information about how to proceed.

Student Charter and Responsibilities

The Student Charter assumes and acknowledges that students are active participants in the learning process and that they have responsibilities to the institution and the international community of scholars. The University expects that students will act at all times in a way that demonstrates respect for the rights of other students and staff so that the learning environment is both safe and productive. For further information visit Student Charter https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/forms-policies-and-guidelines/student-policies-and-guidelines/student-charter.html.

Disclaimer

Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about the course will be available for enrolled students in Canvas.

In this course students may be asked to submit coursework assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations for this course online or through the use of computers or other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements may be used. In exceptional circumstances changes to elements of this course may be necessary at short notice. Students enrolled in this course will be informed of any such changes and the reasons for them, as soon as possible, through Canvas.