48330 Soil Behaviour
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Subject handbook information prior to 2020 is available in the Archives.
Credit points: 6 cp
Subject level:
Undergraduate
Result type: Grade and marksRequisite(s): 48331c Mechanics of Solids
The lower case 'c' after the subject code indicates that the subject is a corequisite. See definitions for details.
Description
The objective of this subject is to give a broad-based introduction to the geosciences and a more rigorous introduction to soil as an engineering material. The subject concludes with a detailed study of the problems of soil settlement and soil shear strength. Geology practicals and soil laboratory sessions allow students to gain deeper insight into the soil behaviour through hands-on civil/geotechnical engineering interpretation and experience. In addition, the research project/case study and debate activity enable students to gain research skills. At successful completion of this subject, students communicate effectively with civil and geotechnical engineers as well as engineering geologists for real design and construction projects. In addition, students are able to Identify, interpret and analyse geotechnical data obtained from the field or laboratory for infrastructure and building design and construction projects, contributing to the subject and course graduate attributes.
At the completion of this subject students should: be familiar with the natural processes occurring on the surface of the earth; be able to communicate with geologists, earth scientists and others involved in studying the ground; understand the fundamentals of the behaviour of soil as an engineering material; be aware of those aspects of soil behaviour which have a significant environmental impact; be able to solve a range of soil-related problems, especially those involving water flow and soil settlement; and have a solid basis for further formal study and self-study in the geotechnical area.
Subject learning objectives (SLOs)
Upon successful completion of this subject students should be able to:
| 1. | Determine and interpret the natural processes occurring on the surface of the earth for civil engineering design and construction applications |
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| 2. | Communicate with geologists, earth scientists and others involved in studying the ground for infrastructure design and construction |
| 3. | Apply fundamental knowledge of the behaviour of soil as an engineering material in Civil Engineering Projects |
| 4. | Identify and evaluate those aspects of soil behaviour which have a significant environmental impact on civil engineer projects |
| 5. | Analyse and solve a range of soil-related problems, especially those involving water flow and soil settlement |
| 6. | Apply research skills to formal study and self-study in the geotechnical engineering area |
Course intended learning outcomes (CILOs)
This subject also contributes specifically to the development of the following Course Intended Learning Outcomes (CILOs):
- Socially Responsible: FEIT graduates identify, engage, interpret and analyse stakeholder needs and cultural perspectives, establish priorities and goals, and identify constraints, uncertainties and risks (social, ethical, cultural, legislative, environmental, economics etc.) to define the system requirements. (B.1)
- Design Oriented: FEIT graduates apply problem solving, design and decision-making methodologies to develop components, systems and processes to meet specified requirements. (C.1)
- Technically Proficient: FEIT graduates apply abstraction, mathematics and discipline fundamentals, software, tools and techniques to evaluate, implement and operate systems. (D.1)
- Collaborative and Communicative: FEIT graduates work as an effective member or leader of diverse teams, communicating effectively and operating within cross-disciplinary and cross-cultural contexts in the workplace. (E.1)
Teaching and learning strategies
Learning and teaching strategies include research inspired, practice based and collaborative learning approaches and include Lecture Material (online content), Lecture Sessions (in class and online content), Tutorial Sessions (in class and online content), Geology Practical Sessions (in class and online content), and Soil Laboratory Sessions (in laboratory and online content). Students will carry out hands-on soil tests in the laboratory to obtain the physical and mechanical properties of different soils. On arrival to the laboratory, students must be ready to do the tests. Hence, students are expected to read the laboratory handbook (available on UTSOnline) before coming to class and prepare a question related to test setup or results interpretation. During laboratory time students will work collaboratively in teams using pre-reading material, and taking photos, filming the practical session and taking notes are encouraged. Students are also required to familiarise themselves with the key learning outcomes that are listed in the laboratory handbook for each laboratory session. At the completion of each laboratory session, students will be expected to write up their own laboratory report addressing the laboratory handbook requirements, learning criteria and key learning outcomes.
The course consists of two components, Soil Mechanics and Geology. Lectures are supported by an online handbook which contains lecture summaries and readings. Students will gain most from the lectures if they read each week's material in advance. Instructors will further discuss the online pre-lecture/tutorial materials and activities in the class and build further on those through practical examples and case studies. Students should expect to spend on average 6.5 hours per week on this subject in addition to actively participating in all the tutorials, practical sessions, laboratories and lectures.
A collaborative learning experience is provided in the practical/tutorial/laboratory sessions. In the geology practical sessions, students will form small groups and collect coded rock and mineral samples from the available bank of rocks and minerals, and then see if they can identify the samples through discussion and the tips provided in the lecturer/tutorial content (in class and online content) and comments made by the instructors in the class or in the online discussion board. Past examination questions will be posted on UTSOnline in the form of tutorial examples, quizzes, and assignments. Students are required to attempt the specified questions and read the indicated material (available on UTSOnline) before coming to class and prepare a minute paper or question for discussion in the class. During the class session, students will communicate with each other and the instructor to solve the questions. Students will be expected to consult with each other to confirm the worked solutions they have obtained to the tutorial questions. Students are expected to be punctual and regular when attending the face-to-face sessions in this subject. At the completion of the tutorial sessions, students will be expected to complete further examination questions, and submit them as assignments, and receive feedback as per Assessment Feedback section.
A research-inspired learning strategy is adopted in this subject for the group and individual activities, including geology practicals, the research project and debating activity. To motivate students to learn disciplinary research skills, research inspired assessment tasks are adopted in many parts of the subject development. As an example, different research projects are allocated to students after meeting with them face-to-face. In addition, debating sessions will be oragnised in tutorial/lecture classes and during these sessions, students will form their groups and prepare their arguments in the group. Students are encouraged to use the new collaborative theatres and collaborative spaces available at UTS to facilitate the required collaborative group work for planning and presenting the debates. Students will be assessed by a panel of judges against the assessment criteria and receive feedback.
Students should attend the Geology Practical and Soil Laboratory sessions and participate in the group activities to be able to prepare the corresponding practical and laboratory reports, which are parts of the overall assessment of the subject. The subject is organised so that maximum student oriented education is provided. In this case, students are strongly advised to attend all planned lecture and tutorial classes as timetabled. In this way, learning is optimised through collaboration with peers, conversation with instructor and thus accessing ongoing weekly feed forward suggestions which inform their ongoing learning and assessment tasks.
Content (topics)
- Introduction to soil engineering: typical problems, the engineer's role, the role of other professions in the study of the ground.
- Geological fundamentals: classification, composition and structure of rock, engineering properties of rock, introduction to rock mechanics.
- Geomorphology: rock weathering and soil formation, landform relationships.
- Nature of soil: particulate nature, classification, clay minerals.
- Introduction to soil mechanics: overview, phase relationships, soil compaction.
- Water in soil: groundwater flow, seepage, permeability, flow net.
- Stress analysis of soil: the effective stress principle, in-situ stresses, stresses due to loading.
- Settlement of soils: settlement and consolidation theories, 1D settlement estimation, rate of settlement.
- Shear strength of soil: Mohr Coulomb failure law, strength testing, drained and undrained failure.
Assessment
Assessment task 1: Soil Mechanics Assignments (Summative)
| Intent: | To give students the opportunity to practice problem solving. The assessment task gives students the opportunity to practice various approaches related to soil mechanics and evaluate them. Students will classify, formulate, and solve various problems, and differentiate the different types of solutions. |
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| Objective(s): | This assessment task addresses the following subject learning objectives (SLOs): 1, 2, 3 and 5 This assessment task contributes to the development of the following Course Intended Learning Outcomes (CILOs): B.1, C.1, D.1 and E.1 |
| Type: | Report |
| Groupwork: | Individual |
| Weight: | 20% |
Assessment task 2: Debate Activity (Formative)
| Intent: | This assessment task provides students with a research inspired learning opportunity to solve real civil/geotechnical engineering challanges and problems. The key purpose is for students to conduct some research on one of the recommended Civil/Geotechnical Engineeering topics and form groups to put their argument “For” or “Against”. The debating format supplements the traditional lecture by engaging students, allowing the lecturer to create an environment that helps students move away from just receiving knowledge into an atmosphere of active participation. Additionally, through debating contemporary issues in the classroom, students can enhance their critical thinking skills. |
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| Objective(s): | This assessment task addresses the following subject learning objectives (SLOs): 2, 4, 5 and 6 This assessment task contributes to the development of the following Course Intended Learning Outcomes (CILOs): B.1, C.1, D.1 and E.1 |
| Type: | Presentation |
| Groupwork: | Group, group and individually assessed |
| Weight: | Mandatory task that does not contribute to subject mark |
Assessment task 3: Practicals and Laboratory Reports (Summative)
| Intent: | To identify sources of uncertainty and errors in soil testing and site investigations, to strengthen statistical analysis and writing skills; to organise teams to conduct laboratory tests, and geological mapping; to providing the students with hands-on experience and to familiarise them with real life problems. In addition, students will be able to write a site visit report (if site visit is organised subjected to the weather condition and site availability). |
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| Objective(s): | This assessment task addresses the following subject learning objectives (SLOs): 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 This assessment task contributes to the development of the following Course Intended Learning Outcomes (CILOs): C.1, D.1 and E.1 |
| Type: | Laboratory/practical |
| Groupwork: | Group, individually assessed |
| Weight: | 15% |
Assessment task 4: Final Examination (Summative)
| Intent: | To evaulate the student's understanding of the fundamental concepts, problem solving skills, analysis and design procedures in Engineering Geology and Soil Mechanics and their application in real life. To assess the student's abilities to develop the required objectives of the subject and gain knowledge of Engineering Geology and Soil Mechanics. |
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| Objective(s): | This assessment task addresses the following subject learning objectives (SLOs): 1, 2, 3 and 5 This assessment task contributes to the development of the following Course Intended Learning Outcomes (CILOs): B.1, C.1, D.1 and E.1 |
| Type: | Examination |
| Groupwork: | Individual |
| Weight: | 50% |
| Criteria: | Systematic and critical thinking to obtain ground properties for infrastructure design |
Assessment task 5: Research Project (Summative)
| Intent: | To engage with research and to encourage students to be research oriented and life long learners. |
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| Objective(s): | This assessment task addresses the following subject learning objectives (SLOs): 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 This assessment task contributes to the development of the following Course Intended Learning Outcomes (CILOs): B.1, C.1, D.1 and E.1 |
| Type: | Case study |
| Groupwork: | Individual |
| Weight: | 15% |
| Criteria: | Critical review of the literature, finding possible solutions for the problem, and the recommendation for practicing engineers |
Assessment task 6: Site Visit (Formative)
| Intent: | To allow students to demonstrate what they have learnt, to determine what are the difficulties in real practice and on site, and how group discussion and team work can help. |
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| Objective(s): | This assessment task addresses the following subject learning objectives (SLOs): 1, 3, 5 and 6 This assessment task contributes to the development of the following Course Intended Learning Outcomes (CILOs): B.1, C.1, D.1 and E.1 |
| Type: | Report |
| Groupwork: | Group, group assessed |
| Weight: | Mandatory task that does not contribute to subject mark |
Assessment task 7: Online Quiz (Formative)
| Intent: | To allow students to demonstrate what they have learnt, to establish what more they should learn and give them the opportunity to have formative assessment of their performance. |
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| Objective(s): | This assessment task addresses the following subject learning objectives (SLOs): 1, 2, 3 and 5 This assessment task contributes to the development of the following Course Intended Learning Outcomes (CILOs): B.1, C.1, D.1 and E.1 |
| Type: | Quiz/test |
| Groupwork: | Individual |
| Weight: | Mandatory task that does not contribute to subject mark |
Minimum requirements
In order to pass the subject, a student must achieve an overall mark of 50% or more.
Recommended texts
Craig, R.F. "Craig's Soil Mechanics", Seventh edition., Spon Press, 2004
Budhu, M., “Soil Mechanics and Foundations”, Wiley & Sons, 2007
References
Learning guide
A soft copy of Soil Mechanics supplementary notes (PDF) will be available on UTSOnline.
The following books contain useful reference material for students requiring additional reading:
Craig, R.F. "Soil Mechanics", Van-Nostrand, 1998
Das, B. M., “Principles of Geotechnical Engineering”, PWS publishing, 1998-2006
Bell, F.G., “Engineering Geology” 2nd Edition, Elsevier, 2007
Budhu, M., “Soil Mechanics and Foundations”, Wiley & Sons, 2007
Holtz, R.D. and Kovacs, W.D. “An Introduction to Geotechnical Engineering”, Prentice Hall, 1981
Kehew, A.E. “Geology for Engineers and Environmental Scientists”, Prentice Hall, 1995
Lambe and Whitman, "Soil Mechanics", Wiley, 1975
Liu, C. and Evett J.B., “Soils and Foundations”, 7th Edition, Pearson, Prentice Hall, 2008
McCarthy D.F. “Essentials of Soil Mechanics and Foundations, Basic Geotechnics” 7th edition, 2008
Scott, C., "An Introduction to Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering", AS Publisher, 1980
Smith, I. “Smith’s Elements of Soil Mechanics”, Blackwell Science, 8th Edition, 2006
Waltham, A.C., “Foundations of Engineering Geology”, Blackei Academic & Professional, 1994
Internet Sites
Students may find the following Soil Mechanics Book in PDF (5.5MB) from the following web site:
http://geo.verruijt.net/
It can be found as “SoilMechBook.zip” in a table under the “software” section.
Other useful websites are:
Geology Glossary: http://www2.nature.nps.gov/geology/usgsnps/misc/glossaryAtoC.html#A
This Dynamic Earth, the story of plate tectonics: http://pubs.usgs.gov/publications/text/dynamic.html
Geological processes & structures: http://earthsci.org/processes/pro.html
Australian Geomechanics Society: http://www.australiangeomechanics.org/
Geotechnical photo album: http://cgpr.cee.vt.edu/Photo_album_for_geotech/index.html
Other resources
A copy of Soil Mechanics supplementary notes and Introduction to Engineering Geology will be available on UTSOnline in PDF format. A copy of lecture slides (in PDF and PPT) will also be available on UTSOnline together with a copy of assignments, laboratory hand out and tutorials questions.
All important announcements will be posted on UTSOnline.
In response to student feedback, lecture sessions aim to be more interactive. All subject content materials are provided in week 1 in colour PDF or PPT. Further, additional video material has been curated and included in UTS Online.