Module ENGI3311: SOIL ENGINEERING

Department: ENGINEERING

ENGI3311: SOIL ENGINEERING

Prerequisites

Corequisites

• Environmental Engineering, Structures and Surveying, Civil Design, Design and Management for Civil Engineering, Applied Mechanics, OR, Environmental Engineering, Structures and Surveying, BEng Civil Design, BEng Engineering Project

Excluded Combination of Modules

• Microelectronics, Software Engineering and Communications, Electronics, Control and Signal Processing, Engineering Design, Management and Manufacture, Electrical Engineering, Thermodynamics and Fluid Mechanics, BEng Mechanical Manufacture, BEng Electronic Manufacture, BEng Thermodynamics and Fluid Mechanics, Management and Electronic Manufacture

Aims

• To introduce fundamental geological concepts relevant to engineering.
• To provide practical skills of how to recognise geological features and how to interpret geological maps.
• To develop qualitative and quantitative descriptions of soil behaviour in terms of phase models, seepage, strength and deformation properties.
• To introduce methods of analysis applicable to soil engineering problems such as foundations, retaining walls and slopes.

Content

• Courses on Soils and Foundations, Soil Mechanics and Geology.

Learning Outcomes

• Understanding of relationship between minerals, rocks and soils.
• Understanding of the importance of geological features on engineering design.
• Understanding of soils, their structure and classification.
• Understanding of soil strength and critical state approach to soils.
• Understanding of short and long term deformations under load.

• Ability to interpret geological maps so that the underlying type of rock can be related to topography.
• Ability to recognise main types of rocks and minerals in the field.
• Ability to calculate seepage and its consequences.
• Ability to process data from standard soil tests.
• Ability to estimate settlement.
• Ability to design spread and piled foundations.
• Ability to check the stability of retaining walls and soil slopes.

• Numerical skills appropriate to an engineer.
• General problem solving skills that can be applied in a novel context.
• Capacity for self-learning in familar and unfamiliar situations.

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

• The main concepts will be presented within a lecture programme. Part of the lecture programme is devoted to the practical interpretation of geological maps. Handouts are provided for the students in paper format. Additional lecture notes are provided on DUO. Web-based materials covering the lectures on slopes are available via DUO to support student learning.
• The lectures relating to geology are supported by 4 half-day field trips which the students will be expected to write up a field trip report (2000 words) which will be summatively assessed.
• The lecture course is assessed by written examination which enables each student to demonstrate their knowledge and an ability to analyse and solve new problems.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Summative Assessment

Formative Assessment:

Problem Sheets for lecture courses.

■ Attendance at all activities marked with this symbol will be monitored. Students who fail to attend these activities, or to complete the summative or formative assessment specified above, will be subject to the procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be required to leave the University