School: Engineering

This unit information may be updated and amended immediately prior to semester. To ensure you have the correct outline, please check it again at the beginning of semester.

  • Unit Title

    Engineering Geology and Rock Mechanics
  • Unit Code

    ENS3208
  • Year

    2025
  • Enrolment Period

    1
  • Version

    6
  • Credit Points

    15
  • Full Year Unit

    N
  • Mode of Delivery

    On Campus
  • Unit Coordinator

    A/Prof Sanjay SHUKLA

Description

This unit provides an introduction to the engineering geology and mechanics of rocks. It deals with engineering properties of rocks, their behaviour under applied loads, and their applications in civil and mining engineering projects.

Prerequisite Rule

Students must pass MAT1236 OR MAT1250 AND ONE OF ENS3242 OR ENS2270

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this unit students should be able to:

  1. Analyse the processes leading to the formation of rocks and their structures.
  2. Create spherical projections of geological data in order to analyse structures within the rock mass.
  3. Assess geological maps for stability of ground structures.
  4. Calculate the factor for safety of rock slopes and the load-bearing capacity of rock foundations for specified construction or excavation purposes.
  5. Analyse field conditions in terms of on-site rock properties and the parameters that affect the ability of the rocks to support themselves and any imposed loads.

Unit Content

  1. Spherical presentation of geological data: fundamentals of spherical projections, intersections of planes and lines, spherical projections, applications.
  2. Geological applications in engineering projects: earthquakes, hydrogeology, environmental geology, subsurface investigation, civil engineering projects, mining engineering projects.
  3. Rock mass classification: intact rock and rock mass, rock quality designation, rock mass classification systems, RMR system, Q-system.
  4. Rock slope stability: factor of safety, types of rock slope failure, slope stability analysis, slope stabilisation methods.
  5. Strength and deformation characteristics of rocks: creep in rocks/time-dependant behaviour of rocks, in situ stresses and strength, stress, strain and constitutive models, stresses and strains in rock around underground openings, theories of rock failure.
  6. Rock properties and laboratory testing: engineering properties of rocks, uniaxial compressive strength test, indirect tensile strength test, point load strength test, slake durability test, Schmidt hammer test, triaxial test.
  7. Geological formations and structures: structure of the earth, rock minerals, rock formation and types, dip and dip directions, folds, faults and discontinuities, weathering of rocks, soil formation and clay minerals.
  8. Foundations on rock.

Learning Experience

Students will attend on campus classes as well as engage in learning activities through ECU's LMS

JoondalupMount LawleySouth West (Bunbury)
Semester 213 x 2 hour labNot OfferedNot Offered
Semester 213 x 2 hour lectureNot OfferedNot Offered
Semester 213 x 2 hour tutorialNot OfferedNot Offered

For more information see the Semester Timetable

Assessment

GS1 GRADING SCHEMA 1 Used for standard coursework units

Students please note: The marks and grades received by students on assessments may be subject to further moderation. All marks and grades are to be considered provisional until endorsed by the relevant School Progression Panel.

ON CAMPUS
TypeDescriptionValue
TestProgress tests/quizzes20%
ExerciseTutorial exercises10%
Laboratory Work ^Laboratory performance and reports20%
Examination ^End of semester examination50%

^ Mandatory to Pass


Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005)

For the purposes of considering a request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005), inherent requirements for this subject are articulated in the Unit Description, Learning Outcomes and Assessment Requirements of this entry. The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the support for students with disabilities or medical conditions can be found at the Access and Inclusion website.

Assessment

Students please note: The marks and grades received by students on assessments may be subject to further moderation. Informal vivas may be conducted as part of an assessment task, where staff require further information to confirm the learning outcomes have been met. All marks and grades are to be considered provisional until endorsed by the relevant School Progression Panel.

Academic Integrity

Integrity is a core value at Edith Cowan University, and it is expected that ECU students complete their assessment tasks honestly and with acknowledgement of other people's work as well as any generative artificial intelligence tools that may have been used. This means that assessment tasks must be completed individually (unless it is an authorised group assessment task) and any sources used must be referenced.

Breaches of academic integrity can include:

Plagiarism

Copying the words, ideas or creative works of other people or generative artificial intelligence tools, without referencing in accordance with stated University requirements. Students need to seek approval from the Unit Coordinator within the first week of study if they intend to use some of their previous work in an assessment task (self-plagiarism).

Unauthorised collaboration (collusion)

Working with other students and submitting the same or substantially similar work or portions of work when an individual submission was required. This includes students knowingly providing others with copies of their own work to use in the same or similar assessment task(s).

Contract cheating

Organising a friend, a family member, another student or an external person or organisation (e.g. through an online website) to complete or substantially edit or refine part or all of an assessment task(s) on their behalf.

Cheating in an exam

Using or having access to unauthorised materials in an exam or test.

Serious outcomes may be imposed if a student is found to have committed one of these breaches, up to and including expulsion from the University for repeated or serious acts.

ECU's policies and more information about academic integrity can be found on the student academic integrity website.

All commencing ECU students are required to complete the Academic Integrity Module.

Assessment Extension

In some circumstances, Students may apply to their Unit Coordinator to extend the due date of their Assessment Task(s) in accordance with ECU's Assessment, Examination and Moderation Procedures - for more information visit https://askus2.ecu.edu.au/s/article/000001386.

Special Consideration

Students may apply for Special Consideration in respect of a final unit grade, where their achievement was affected by Exceptional Circumstances as set out in the Assessment, Examination and Moderation Procedures - for more information visit https://askus2.ecu.edu.au/s/article/000003318.

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