CIVIL 702 : Design of Earthquake Resistant Foundations
Engineering
2024 Semester Two (1245) (15 POINTS)
Course Prescription
Course Overview
This course expands upon the fundamentals of (1) foundation engineering and (2) structural dynamics to facilitate the design of earthquake resistant foundations. Often in practice, the seismic performance of the structure is treated separately from the underlying soils. However, this course explores the advanced concepts of elastic soil structure interaction (SSI) and non-linear soil-foundation-structure interaction (SFSI). The consideration of SSI (and sometimes SFSI) enables the refinement and robust design of earthquake resistant foundations, whether shallow foundations (e.g., footings and raft foundations), deep foundations (e.g., driven and bored piles), and retaining wall structures.
In Aotearoa New Zealand and other seismically active regions across the world, concepts introduced in this course are powerful tools in the practice of Geotechnical and Structural Earthquake Engineering, enabling robust foundation design through tempered engineering judgment.
The course is technically challenging and entirely delivered via the Auckland Online platform. Successful students are independent learners who fully engage with the course content, course book, and other material.
All calculations for assignments and design projects may require the use of computational tools, such as Mathcad, MATLAB, Python.
Note: This course is offered in an online format via Auckland Online in Semester Two 2024. There is no on campus option for 2024.
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
- Demonstrate a familiarity with foundation engineering terminology and understand how the principles of geomechanics are applied in the design of foundations to resist earthquakes (Capability 3.1, 3.2, 4.1, 4.2, 5.1 and 7.1)
- Appreciate how foundation design and structural design are linked activities (Capability 3.1, 3.2 and 4.1)
- Develop a deepening appreciation of geomechanics as a coherent body of knowledge and how it relates to the wider field of civil engineering (Capability 3.1, 3.2, 4.1, 4.2 and 5.1)
- Learn about foundation behaviour through assignments and tutorial examples. (Capability 3.1, 3.2, 4.1, 4.2 and 5.1)
- Design foundations for earthquake resistant structures. (Capability 3.1, 3.2, 4.1, 4.2, 5.1, 6.1 and 7.1)
- Use computer based computational tools (e.g., Mathcad, MATLAB, python) for undertaking design calculations. (Capability 3.1, 3.2, 4.1, 4.2 and 5.1)
Assessments
| Assessment Type | Percentage | Classification |
|---|---|---|
| Assignments | 20% | Individual Coursework |
| Projects | 30% | Group Coursework |
| Final Exam | 50% | Individual Examination |
| 3 types | 100% |
| Assessment Type | Learning Outcome Addressed | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | |||||
| Assignments | ||||||||||
| Projects | ||||||||||
| 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
Online
The course may include live online events including group discussions/tutorials and these will be recorded.
Attendance on campus is not required for the exam.
Where possible, study material will be released progressively throughout the course.
This course runs to the University semester/quarter timetable and all the associated completion dates and deadlines will apply.
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.
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)
Kramer, S. L. “Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering”, Prentice Hall, 1996, (Call number: TA654.6 .K72 1996)
Tohata, I “Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering”, Springer, 2008, (Call number: TA654.6 .G46 2008)
Wesley, L. D. "Fundamentals of Soil Mechanics for Sedimentary and Residual Soils". 2010. (Call number: 624.15136 W51
Health & Safety
Students must ensure they are familiar with their Health and Safety responsibilities, as described in the university's Health and Safety policy.
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.
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.