CIVIL 301 : Foundation Engineering

Engineering

2024 Semester Two (1245) (15 POINTS)

Course Prescription

Design of foundations, both shallow and pile, for buildings and other structures. Assessment of foundation ultimate capacity and working load settlement. Site investigation methods, with particular emphasis on the use of penetrometer tests to estimate soil parameter values. Current foundation construction methods. Design of embedded retaining walls. Special aspects of house foundation design and construction. Observed foundation performance.

Course Overview

This course follows on from Geomechanics 1 and Geomechanics 2.   It is intended to provide the basic applications of the principles of geomechanics to problems in Foundation Engineering. It is also aims to provide Foundation Engineering skills for students with an interest in Structural Engineering.

The major topics to be covered in the course are:
•    Soil properties relevant to foundation design; site investigation techniques; interpretation of site investigation data
•    Limit state design of foundations – ultimate limit state and serviceability limit state
•    Ultimate and serviceability limit state approaches for the design of shallow foundations
•    Application of these concepts to the design of retaining structures
•    Ultimate and serviceability limit state approaches for the design of deep foundations
•    Provide some information about current foundation construction techniques
•    Consider special aspects of house foundation design and construction.

Visiting speakers may give presentations intended to provide insight into foundation engineering practice (this material will be examinable).

Course Requirements

Prerequisite: CIVIL 300, and STRCTENG 300 or 301 or 304 Restriction: CIVIL 721

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. Understand how the principles of geomechanics are applied in the design of foundations. (Capability 3.1, 3.2 and 5.1)
  2. Identify how foundation design and structural design are linked activities (Capability 4.1, 5.1 and 7.1)
  3. Develop a deepening appreciation of geomechanics as a coherent body of knowledge and how it relates to the wider field of civil engineering (Capability 4.1, 5.1 and 7.1)
  4. Develop a facility for thinking about foundation options through assignments, tutorial examples and design projects (Capability 3.1, 3.2, 4.1, 4.2, 5.1, 6.1 and 7.1)

Assessments

Assessment Type Percentage Classification
Assignments 20% Individual Coursework
Projects 20% Group Coursework
Test 20% Individual Test
Final Exam 40% Individual Examination
Assessment Type Learning Outcome Addressed
1 2 3 4
Assignments
Projects
Test
Final Exam

Students must sit the exam to pass the course. Otherwise, a DNS (did not sit) result will be returned.

Workload Expectations

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

For this course, you can expect 36 hours of lectures/tutorials, 34 hours of reading and thinking about the content, and 80 hours of work on assignments and/or test preparation (total of 150 hours).

Delivery Mode

Campus Experience

Lectures and tutorials will be available as recordings.

The course will not include live online events.

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.

A coursebook is available for the course, this is the main teaching resource, it is available on Canvas.  At the start of lectures arrangements will be made for hard-copy purchase for those who wish. In addition a small collection of conference papers on aspects of foundation engineering are suggested for supplementary reading.

The following books will be useful supplementary references for the course:
Fleming, W. G. K., Weltman, A. J., Randolf, M. F. & Elson, W. K. “Piling Engineering”,
2nd edition, E&F N Spon 1992, (Call number: TA780 .P494 1985).
Salgado, R. “The engineering of foundations”. McGraw-Hill, 2008. (Call number: TA775 .S2374 2008)


Health & Safety

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

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.

Adjust timing of assignment content to better align with content delivered in lectures.

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.