48360 Geotechnical Engineering

6cp; on campus
Requisite(s): 48330 Soil Behaviour
Fields of practice: Civil Engineering program

Undergraduate

Description

The aim of this subject is to develop students' technical competence in the analysis of soil masses and of structures associated with soil. The analysis of footings, piles, retaining walls and soil slopes are examples.

Upon completing this subject, students should be able to understand the concept of failure in soil and apply it to the analysis of soil masses; critically appraise a problem in order to decide which particular analysis should be used; identify the limitations of their analyses and carry out appropriate solution validation; be responsible for the analysis component of a design team; study the relevant literature and learn to apply new or more complex methods of analysis; and carry out fieldwork in association with subsurface investigations.

Topics include introduction to geotechnical design (criteria, codes, engineering judgment); site investigation (planning, fieldwork, techniques); shallow foundations (types, bearing capacity theories, settlement); retaining structures (earth pressure theories, Rankine and Coulomb methods, analysis of gravity walls, cantilever walls, braced excavations); deep foundations (types, load-carrying capacity, settlement, group behaviour, lateral loading); slope stability (failure mechanisms, infinite slopes, rotational failure, remedial measures); and soil improvement (site classification, reactive soils behaviour, ground improvement methods).

Typical availability

Autumn session, City campus
Spring session, City campus

Detailed subject description.

Fee information

Information to assist with determining the applicable fee type can be found at Understanding fees.

Commonwealth-supported students: view subject fees at Fees Search: Commonwealth-supported
Postgraduate domestic fee-paying students: fees are charged according to the course enrolled in; refer to Domestic Fees Search: Postgraduate and Research
International students: fees are charged according to the course enrolled in; refer to International Fees Search
Subject EFTSL: 0.125

Access conditions

Note: The requisite information presented in this subject description covers only academic requisites. Full details of all enforced rules, covering both academic and admission requisites, are available at access conditions and My Student Admin.