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  2. Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering [ENS3242]

Faculty of Health, Engineering and Science

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

    Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering

  • Unit Code

    ENS3242

  • Year

    2015

  • Enrolment Period

    1

  • Version

    2

  • Credit Points

    15

  • Full Year Unit

     N

  • Mode of Delivery

    On Campus

Description

This unit provides an introduction to the properties of soils, estimation of their behaviour under applied loads, and the design of foundation elements used for various types of construction. The unit includes laboratory testing of various soil types and also provides the basic knowledge required to design pavements, retaining walls, building foundations and excavations.

Prerequisite Rule

Students must pass 2 units from ENS1101, MAT1236

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this unit students should be able to:

  1. Describe and evaluate the properties of soils that affect their ability to support themselves and any imposed loads.
  2. Design simple foundation elements for varying soil conditions.
  3. Identify the types of soils that can occur at construction sites.
  4. Specify appropriate excavation and retaining methods for soils.

Unit Content

  1. Basic description of soils, clay minerals, soil phases, soil problems in civil engineering.
  2. Consolidation, compressibility of soils.
  3. Deep foundations, piles, drilled piers, well foundations.
  4. Effective stress principle, ground water fluctuations, soil capillarity.
  5. Index properties and soil classification.
  6. Lateral earth pressure, retaining structures.
  7. Shallow foundations, load-bearing capacity theories, raft foundation.
  8. Shear strength of soils.
  9. Site investigation, excavation techniques.
  10. Slopes and embankments.
  11. Soil compaction, ground improvement techniques, stresses in soil mass.
  12. Soil permeability, fluid flow through soils, granular filter design.

Additional Learning Experience Information

Lectures, tutorials and laboratories.

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 Board of Examiners.

ON CAMPUS
TypeDescriptionValue
ExerciseQuizzes and tutorial exercises20%
Laboratory WorkLaboratory work and reports20%
Examination ^End of semester examination60%

^ Mandatory to Pass

Text References

  • ^ Shukla, S. K. (2014). Core principles of soil mechanics. London, UK: ICE Publishing.
  • Das, B.M. (2013). Fundamentals of geotechnical engineering (4th ed.). Stanford, USA: CENGAGE Learning.
  • Terzaghi, K., Peck, R.B., & Ghoamreza, M. (1996). Soil mechanics in engineering practice (3rd. ed.). New York: Wiley-Interscience.
  • Atkinson, J. (2007). Mechanics of soil and foundations (2nd. ed.). London: Taylor & Francis.
  • McCarthy, D. (2006). Essentials of soil mechanics and foundations: basic geotechnics (7th. ed.). New Jersey: Prentice-Hall.

^ Mandatory reference

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.

Academic Misconduct

Edith Cowan University has firm rules governing academic misconduct and there are substantial penalties that can be applied to students who are found in breach of these rules. Academic misconduct includes, but is not limited to:

  • plagiarism;
  • unauthorised collaboration;
  • cheating in examinations;
  • theft of other students' work;

Additionally, any material submitted for assessment purposes must be work that has not been submitted previously, by any person, for any other unit at ECU or elsewhere.

The ECU rules and policies governing all academic activities, including misconduct, can be accessed through the ECU website.

ENS3242|2|1

Faculty of Health, Engineering and Science

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

    Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering

  • Unit Code

    ENS3242

  • Year

    2015

  • Enrolment Period

    2

  • Version

    2

  • Credit Points

    15

  • Full Year Unit

     N

  • Mode of Delivery

    On Campus

Description

This unit provides an introduction to the properties of soils, estimation of their behaviour under applied loads, and the design of foundation elements used for various types of construction. The unit includes laboratory testing of various soil types and also provides the basic knowledge required to design pavements, retaining walls, building foundations and excavations.

Prerequisite Rule

Students must pass 2 units from ENS1101, MAT1236

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this unit students should be able to:

  1. Describe and evaluate the properties of soils that affect their ability to support themselves and any imposed loads.
  2. Design simple foundation elements for varying soil conditions.
  3. Identify the types of soils that can occur at construction sites.
  4. Specify appropriate excavation and retaining methods for soils.

Unit Content

  1. Basic description of soils, clay minerals, soil phases, soil problems in civil engineering.
  2. Consolidation, compressibility of soils.
  3. Deep foundations, piles, drilled piers, well foundations.
  4. Effective stress principle, ground water fluctuations, soil capillarity.
  5. Index properties and soil classification.
  6. Lateral earth pressure, retaining structures.
  7. Shallow foundations, load-bearing capacity theories, raft foundation.
  8. Shear strength of soils.
  9. Site investigation, excavation techniques.
  10. Slopes and embankments.
  11. Soil compaction, ground improvement techniques, stresses in soil mass.
  12. Soil permeability, fluid flow through soils, granular filter design.

Additional Learning Experience Information

Lectures, tutorials and laboratories.

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 Board of Examiners.

ON CAMPUS
TypeDescriptionValue
ExerciseQuizzes and tutorial exercises20%
Laboratory WorkLaboratory work and reports20%
Examination ^End of semester examination60%

^ Mandatory to Pass

Text References

  • ^ Shukla, S. K. (2014). Core principles of soil mechanics. London, UK: ICE Publishing.
  • Das, B.M. (2013). Fundamentals of geotechnical engineering (4th ed.). Stanford, USA: CENGAGE Learning.
  • Terzaghi, K., Peck, R.B., & Ghoamreza, M. (1996). Soil mechanics in engineering practice (3rd. ed.). New York: Wiley-Interscience.
  • Atkinson, J. (2007). Mechanics of soil and foundations (2nd. ed.). London: Taylor & Francis.
  • McCarthy, D. (2006). Essentials of soil mechanics and foundations: basic geotechnics (7th. ed.). New Jersey: Prentice-Hall.

^ Mandatory reference

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.

Academic Misconduct

Edith Cowan University has firm rules governing academic misconduct and there are substantial penalties that can be applied to students who are found in breach of these rules. Academic misconduct includes, but is not limited to:

  • plagiarism;
  • unauthorised collaboration;
  • cheating in examinations;
  • theft of other students' work;

Additionally, any material submitted for assessment purposes must be work that has not been submitted previously, by any person, for any other unit at ECU or elsewhere.

The ECU rules and policies governing all academic activities, including misconduct, can be accessed through the ECU website.

ENS3242|2|2