MEng Civil and Structural Engineering / Course details

Year of entry: 2024

Course unit details:
Geotechnics 4

Course unit fact file
Unit code CIVL36002
Credit rating 10
Unit level Level 3
Teaching period(s) Semester 2
Available as a free choice unit? No

Overview

This course provides practical and advanced topics of geotechnical engineering and ground improvements. It use and extends the fundamental soil mechanics and geotechnical engineering (taught in the previous units of Geotechnics 1 to Geotechnics 3) in practical aspects of engineering the problematic soils, advanced materials in ground engineering and addressing the geoenvironmental problems/waste disposal. In this course advanced topics geotechnical and ground engineered will be thought which assists students with revisiting, expanding and coupling the theoretical knowledge of soil mechanics and geotechnical engineering with various practical ground engineering topics.
The unit is assessed through 20% coursework and 80% final exam. There will be one additional session on practical design with geosynthetics that will be lectured by an expert from industry. A two-hour session has been designed

Pre/co-requisites

Unit title Unit code Requirement type Description
Geotechnics 2 CIVL20221 Pre-Requisite Compulsory
Geotechnics 3 CIVL35001 Pre-Requisite Compulsory

Aims

To understand advanced geotechnical engineering and applications in ground engineering through application of the fundamental knowledge of soil mechanics and geotechnical engineering in ground engineering and extend the knowledge further through the advanced topics provided

Syllabus

1) Geotechnical Site Investigation
Site investigation methods, drilling and sampling, in-situ tests and design with in-situ data, Eurocode in site investigation
2) Ground Improvement
Ground improvement methods, field compaction techniques, pre-loading consolidation and fundamental of soil reinforcement. 
3) Design with Geosynthetics  
Application of geosynthetics in ground improvement by reinforcement, analysis and design soil reinforced systems.
4) Geoenvironmental Engineering
Waste containment systems (practice, analysis and design). Geoesynthetics is containment systems.

Laboratories:  A two hour laboratory session has been designed in which group of students (4-5) in each group will conduct in-situ tests (vane Shear Tests) on samples of clays. The results will then be analysed to extract engineering parameters for the design. In addition, the process of conducting consolidation experiments through standard oedometer test will be demonstrated.

Assessment methods

Method Weight
Written exam 80%
Report 20%

Feedback methods

Exam - via script viewing

Report - marked coursework within standard timescale of the university

Study hours

Scheduled activity hours
Lectures 22
Practical classes & workshops 4
Tutorials 4
Independent study hours
Independent study 70

Teaching staff

Staff member Role
Majid Sedighi Unit coordinator

Return to course details