CIVIL 721 – FOUNDATION ENGINEERING
(15 Points, FC 2017)
COURSE CO-ORDINATOR:Prof M J PENDER
Room 1.1102, ext. 87919, Email:
TIMES:Three classes per week:
Monday 13.00 - 14.00106.204 (Biology)
Wednesday13.00 - 14.00201N.370 (Human Sciences)
Thursday 12.00 – 13.00104.G53 (Old Choral Hall)
OFFICE HOURS:M J PenderMonday & Wednesday 3:00-4:00pm 1.1102
PHILOSOPHY AND PURPOSE:
This course, follows on from Geomechanics 1, Geomechanics 2. It is intended to provide the basic applications of the principles of geomechanics to problems in Foundation Engineering. It is also aims to provide Foundation Engineering skills for students with an interest in Structural Engineering.
COURSE ASSESSMENT:Final Exam - 70%, Coursework - 30%
Test:1 hour15%Tuesday May 09(6.00 pm, MLT2).The marked scripts will be available at the Student Services stall (level 3) from Monday May 15. Student ID is required to collect your script.
Design Projects (group work):10%Gravity retaining wall foundation design:
Thursday April 13
Building 403/404 existing foundation assessment:Thursday June 1
Marking for the design projects will be allocated on the basis of 1/3 for effort, 1/3 for insight, and 1/3 for the results. Projects will be submitted via Canvas.
Assignments: 5%A number of assignments will be given. Completion of all of these will contribute up to 5% of the final mark for the course.
Pass mark requirement:A minimum mark of 50% in the final examination is required to pass the course.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
In this course, it is intended that the student will:
- become familiar with foundation engineering terminology and understand how the principles of geomechanics are applied in the design of foundations
- appreciate how foundation design and structural design are linked activities
- develop a deepening appreciation of geomechanics as a coherent body of knowledge and how it relates to the wider field of civil engineering
- through assignments, tutorial examples and design projects develop a facility for thinking about foundation options
- become familiar with Mathcad as a useful tool for undertaking design calculations. All calculations for assignments and design projects are to be done using Mathcad. (There will be Mathcad tutorials in the first two weeks of the semester: Wednesday March 08, 17:00, room 401-312, Thursday March 09, 17:00, room 401-312, Wednesday March 16. 18:00, room 401-312.)
PIAZZA will be available to encourage discussion within the student group.
COURSE OUTLINE:
The major topics to be covered in the course are:
- Soil properties relevant to foundation design; site investigation techniques; interpretation of site investigation data
- Limit state design of foundations – ultimate limit state and serviceability limit state
- Ultimate and serviceability limit state approaches for the design of shallow foundations
- Application of these concepts to the design of retaining structures
- Ultimate and serviceability limit state approaches for the design of deep foundations
- Provide some information about current foundation construction techniques
- Consider special aspects of house foundation design and construction.
- A number of visiting speakers will give presentations intended to provide insight into aspects of foundation engineering practice (this material will be examinable).
TEXTBOOKS:
A coursebook is available for the course, this is the main teaching resource, students are expected to purchase a copy, it will be available at the start of lectures. In addition a small collection of conference papers on aspects of foundation engineering will be available for supplementary reading.
The following books will be useful supplementary references for the course:
Lancellotta, R. “Geotechnical Engineering”, Balkema, 1995, (Call number: 624.13 L22).
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)