CIVL2410: Soil Mechanics (2013 - Semester 2)
| Unit: | CIVL2410: Soil Mechanics (6 CP) |
| Mode: | Normal-Day |
| On Offer: | Yes |
| Level: | Intermediate |
| 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: | This course provides an elementary introduction to Geotechnical Engineering, and provides the basic mechanics necessary for the detailed study of Geotechnical Engineering. This course aims to provide an understanding of: the nature of soils as engineering materials; common soil classification schemes; the importance of water in the soil and the effects of water movement; methods of predicting soil settlements, the stress-strain-strength response of soils, and earth pressures. |
| Assumed Knowledge: | CIVL2201 AND GEOL1501. An understanding of simple statics, equilibrium, forces and bending moments, and of stress and strain and the relationship between them. This is covered by University of Sydney courses ENGG 1802 Engineering Mechanics, CIVL2201 Structural Mechanics. Familiarity with the use of spreadsheets (Excel, Mathcad) to obtain solutions to engineering problems, and with the graphical presentation of this data. Familiarity with word processing packages for report presentation. Some of this is covered in the University of Sydney course ENGG1801 Engineering Computing. Familiarity with partial differential equations, and their analytical and numerical solution. |
| Lecturer/s: |
A/Prof Airey, David
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| Timetable: | CIVL2410 Timetable | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Time Commitment: |
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| T&L Activities: | Lecture: Mon 9-10am, Thurs 9-11am |
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 |
| An understanding of the engineering behaviour of the ground and the interaction between the ground and any structures built in or on the ground is essential for all Civil Engineers | Engineering/IT Specialisation (Level 2) |
| This course develops the fundamental knowledge of stress and strain | Maths/Science Methods and Tools (Level 2) |
| Developing skills of experimentation and analysis of experimental data. Developing use of spreadsheets for data analysis and reporting. | Information Seeking (Level 2) |
| Laboratory reports require the ability to communicate effectively, clearly and concisely in writing for technical readers. | Communication (Level 2) |
| An appreciation of the roles and dimensions of a geotechnical engineer. | Professional Conduct (Level 1) |
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 1)
1. Use a spreadsheet to analyse a geotechnical design problem
Engineering/IT Specialisation (Level 2)
2. Give an engineering classification of any piece of soil, and on this basis predict how it will perform as an engineering material
3. Calculate the settlements, and rates of settlement, under structures of various shapes and sizes
4. Explain the advantages and limitations of the different methods of settlement calculation
5. Determine the strength parameters appropriate to a range of stability problems, and understand the difference between total and effective stress approaches
Maths/Science Methods and Tools (Level 2)
6. Understand the principle of effective stress, and be able to apply this to calculate the stresses causing soil deformation
7. Calculate quantities of water flowing through the ground, and understand the effects that water flow has on the soil
Information Seeking (Level 2)
8. Proficiency in handling experimental data, including strength parameters.
Communication (Level 2)
9. To report the results of a laboratory experiment at a professional standard
| Assessment Methods: |
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| Assessment Description: |
Assignment: Computer assignment is designed to reinforce theoretical concepts and develop the students` skills in the use of Excel. Lab Report: Students submit one lab report on one out of their 5 sessions, one week after the session. Lab reports will address student development in their presentation and analysis skills. Students are expected to present a professional documentation of their experiments and analysis associated with the concepts learned within this UoS. Final Exam: The examination at the end of the semester will measure students’ understanding of the concepts covered during the semester within this UoS. Weighted 70% for repeating students who are exempt from laboratories Quiz: Tutorial exercises are used to assess the student understanding of key concepts. Short formative assessments will be used each week. On three occasions these will be marked to encourage students to work consistently through the semester. |
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| Grading: |
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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 | Introduction, Classification |
| Week 2 | Definitions, Compaction |
| Week 3 | Effective Stress, Water in soil |
| Week 4 | Flow Nets |
| Week 5 | Flow Nets |
| Week 6 | 1-D compression, 1-D settlement |
| Week 7 | 1-D settlement, Consolidation |
| Week 8 | Consolidation, 3-D settlement |
| Week 9 | 3-D settlement, rate of settlement |
| Week 10 | Soil strength |
| Week 11 | Stress-strain response |
| Assessment Due: Assignment | |
| Week 12 | Earth pressures |
| Week 13 | Earth pressures, Revision |
| Exam Period | 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 |
| Project Management and Teamwork (Level 1) | No | 0% |
| Design (Level 1) | No | 9% |
| Engineering/IT Specialisation (Level 2) | Yes | 49.3% |
| Maths/Science Methods and Tools (Level 2) | Yes | 20.15% |
| Information Seeking (Level 2) | Yes | 11.57% |
| Communication (Level 2) | Yes | 10% |
| Professional Conduct (Level 1) | 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.
