CIVL5452: Foundation Engineering (2013 - Semester 2)
| Unit: | CIVL5452: Foundation Engineering (6 CP) |
| Mode: | Normal-Day |
| On Offer: | Yes |
| Level: | Postgraduate |
| Faculty/School: | Civil Engineering |
| Unit Coordinator/s: |
A/Prof Airey, David
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| Session options: | Semester 2 |
| Versions for this Unit: |
| Campus: | Camperdown/Darlington |
| Pre-Requisites: | None. |
| Brief Handbook Description: | The objectives of this unit are to gain an understanding of the design process in foundation engineering, to understand the importance of site investigation and field testing, and to learn how to deal with uncertainty. To achieve these objectives students are asked to design foundations using real data. Students will develop the ability to interpret the results of a site investigation; to use laboratory and field data to design simple foundations; develop an appreciation of the interaction between the soil, foundation system and the supported structure. The syllabus is comprised of field testing, site characterisation, interpretation of field data, design pof pile raft and surface footings, support of excavations, soil improvement, and geotechnical report writing |
| Assumed Knowledge: | CIVL2410 AND CIVL3411. Students are assumed to have a good knowledge of fundamental soil mechanics, which is covered in the courses of soil mechanics (settlement, water flow, soil strength) and foundation engineering (soil models, stability analyses; slope stability; retaining walls; foundation capacity) |
| Lecturer/s: |
A/Prof Airey, David
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| Timetable: | CIVL5452 Timetable | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Time Commitment: |
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| T&L Activities: | Lecture: Lectures will be given to provide background information, new concepts, and theoretical and analytical approaches to foundation problems. Project Work - own time: Project will require work outside class time to complete. Tutorial: Tutorial exercises will be conducted throughout the semester, to develop analytical skills in foundation design and to provide indication of exam questions Independent Study: Study of course material to enable assignments to be completed and concepts understood |
Attributes listed here represent the key course goals (see Course Map tab) designated for this unit. The list below describes how these attributes are developed through practice in the unit. See Learning Outcomes and Assessment tabs for details of how these attributes are assessed.
| Attribute Development Method | Attribute Developed |
| Students have to work from basic soil log data and finally design a foundation. As the data is messy the need to develop judgement and problem solving skills is required. There is no single solution to the design problem. | Design (Level 4) |
| Current methods of design used in industry are taught, and students use current computer programs to perform analysis and design | Engineering/IT Specialisation (Level 5) |
| A thorough knowledge of the theories and concepts of soil mechanics, and how these are applied in practice is required in this unit | Maths/Science Methods and Tools (Level 4) |
| Students are required to write a professional engineering report for an imaginary client. | Communication (Level 4) |
| Students work in teams to solve the design problems. | Project Management and Teamwork (Level 3) |
For explanation of attributes and levels see Engineering & IT Graduate Outcomes Table.
Learning outcomes are the key abilities and knowledge that will be assessed in this unit. They are listed according to the course goal supported by each. See Assessment Tab for details how each outcome is assessed.
Design (Level 4)| Assessment Methods: |
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| Assessment Description: |
Quiz: Mid-semester quiz Project: Design Project Final Exam: Final examination Assignment: Tutorial exercises |
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| Faculty Policies & Procedures: | Academic Honesty in Coursework. All students must submit a cover sheet for all assessment work that declares that the work is original and not plagiarised from the work of others. Coursework assessment and examination policy. The faculty policy is to use standards based assessment for units where grades are returned and criteria based assessment for Pass/Fail only units. Norm referenced assessment will only be used in exceptional circumstances and its use will need to be justified to the Undergraduate Studies Committee. Special consideration for illness or misadventure may be considered when an assessment component is severely affected. This policy gives the details of the information that is required to be submitted along with the appropriate procedures and forms. Special Arrangements for Examination and Assessment. In exceptional circumstances alternate arrangements for exams or assessment can be made. However concessions for outside work arrangements, holidays and travel, sporting and entertainment events will not normally be given. Student Appeals against Academic Decisions. Students have the right to appeal any academic decision made by a school or the faculty. The appeal must follow the appropriate procedure so that a fair hearing is obtained. Note that policies regarding assessment submission, penalties and assessment feedback depend upon the individual unit of study. Details of these policies, where applicable, will be found above with other assessment details in this unit outline. All university policies can be found at http://sydney.edu.au/policy Various request forms for the Faculty of Engineering and IT can be found at http://sydney.edu.au/engineering/forms/ |
| Recommended Reference/s: |
Note: References are provided for guidance purposes only. Students are advised to consult these books in the university library. Purchase is not required.
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Note that the "Weeks" referred to in this Schedule are those of the official university semester calendar https://web.timetable.usyd.edu.au/calendar.jsp
| Week | Description |
| Week 1 | Site investigation |
| Week 2 | Field testing |
| Week 3 | Shallow foundations - bearing capacity |
| Week 4 | Shallow foundations - settlement |
| Week 5 | Retaining walls |
| Week 6 | Raft foundations - existing solutions |
| Week 7 | Raft foundations - computer solutions |
| Assessment Due: Quiz | |
| Week 8 | Pile foundations - bearing |
| Week 9 | Pile foundations -settlement |
| Week 10 | Pile foundations - groups |
| Week 11 | Soil improvement and excavation |
| Week 12 | Design Project |
| Week 13 | Design Project |
| Assessment Due: Project | |
| STUVAC (Week 14) | This week is free for independent study |
| Exam Period | Final exam |
| Assessment Due: Final Exam |
Course Relations
The following is a list of courses which have added this Unit to their structure.
Course Goals
This unit contributes to the achievement of the following course goals:
| Attribute | Practiced | Assessed |
| Design (Level 4) | Yes | 6.5% |
| Engineering/IT Specialisation (Level 5) | Yes | 76.33% |
| Maths/Science Methods and Tools (Level 4) | Yes | 13.17% |
| Communication (Level 4) | Yes | 4% |
| Professional Conduct (Level 3) | No | 0% |
| Project Management and Teamwork (Level 3) | Yes | 0% |
These goals are selected from Engineering & IT Graduate Outcomes Table which defines overall goals for courses where this unit is primarily offered. See Engineering & IT Graduate Outcomes Table for details of the attributes and levels to be developed in the course as a whole. Percentage figures alongside each course goal provide a rough indication of their relative weighting in assessment for this unit. Note that not all goals are necessarily part of assessment. Some may be more about practice activity. See Learning outcomes for details of what is assessed in relation to each goal and Assessment for details of how the outcome is assessed. See Attributes for details of practice provided for each goal.
