Module overview
This module provides an introduction to the principles of soil mechanics – how soil behaves when subject to engineering loads and construction processes. It also provides knowledge of simple analysis methods that are appropriate for assessment of geotechnical structures – foundations, slopes and retaining walls – and groundwater control problems. At the end of the module the students should be able to understand soil behaviour and apply their knowledge to straightforward engineering structures. The modules builds on the introduction to geological materials given in Part 1 Civil and Environmental Engineering Fundamentals (CENV1025) and provides a foundation for more detailed analysis of geotechnical structures which will be covered in Part 3 Geotechnical Engineering
(CENV3020).
Aims and Objectives
Learning Outcomes
Transferable and Generic Skills
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- Oral and written communication
- Information handling
- Group work/team work
- Problem analysis and problem solving
- Numeracy
- Critical Analysis
- Ability to learn
- Self-management (e.g. time management)
Subject Specific Intellectual and Research Skills
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- Analyse retaining walls and shallow strip foundations at failure, using simple methods.
- Discuss the limitations of the methods used to analyse retaining walls and strip foundations.
- Calculate flow rates and pore pressures associated with groundwater control.
- Calculate stress changes and associated settlements below or near shallow raft foundations.
- Determine the behaviour of soil based on its properties, history, applied loads and the groundwater regime.
- Analyse groundwater flow around excavations.
- Assess the stability of slopes.
Knowledge and Understanding
Having successfully completed this module, you will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:
- Analysis methods for the simple design of slopes, foundations and retaining walls.
- Effective stress.
- The shear strength of soils included critical states and undrained shear strength.
- One dimensional consolidation and compression of soils.
- Groundwater flow and soil permeability.
- Ground settlement.
Subject Specific Practical Skills
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- Analyse groundwater flow by sketching flownets
- Analyse the stability of simple geotechnical structures
- Carry out and interpret a standard triaxial test
- Carry out and interpret a standard oedometer test
Syllabus
- General introduction: revision and application of basic concepts such as phase relationships and effective stress.
- Groundwater, permeability and seepage: Darcy’s law and concept of permeability; permeability measurement; flownet sketching, application of flownets.
- Compression and Consolidation: the oedometer test; one-dimensional compression and consolidation; application to field problems.
- Soil Strength and Soil Behaviour: soil as a frictional material; shear box tests; critical states; peak strengths and dilation; undrained shear strength of clay soils; the triaxial test apparatus; stress parameters; isotropic compression and swelling; shear tests; the Cam Clay model framework.
- Calculation of Soil Settlement: selection of “elastic” parameters, Newmark’s chart.
- Retaining Walls: concepts of engineering plasticity; active and passive pressures; stress field (Rankine) solutions for embedded walls; limit equilibrium (Coulomb) solutions for gravity walls; simple practical applications assuming frictionless and dry (no porewater pressures) conditions.
- Foundations: stress field and mechanism solutions for idealised strip footings; bearing capacity factors for simple strip footing.
- Slopes: the infinite slope; Taylor’s charts.
Learning and Teaching
Teaching and learning methods
Teaching methods are by:
- Lectures, which include presentations, demonstrations and practical problems.
- Lab sessions, each of three hours, on which the two assessed reports are based.
- Completion of example problems in the students own time.
| Type | Hours |
|---|---|
| Preparation for scheduled sessions | 18 |
| Practical classes and workshops | 6 |
| Follow-up work | 24 |
| Lecture | 36 |
| Wider reading or practice | 24 |
| Revision | 24 |
| Completion of assessment task | 18 |
| Total study time | 150 |
Resources & Reading list
General Resources
lecture notes and module online resources.
Assessment
Assessment strategy
Repeat year externally (assessment via coursework resubmission and examination).
Summative
This is how we’ll formally assess what you have learned in this module.
| Method | Percentage contribution |
|---|---|
| Continuous Assessment | 50% |
| Final Assessment | 50% |
Referral
This is how we’ll assess you if you don’t meet the criteria to pass this module.
| Method | Percentage contribution |
|---|---|
| Set Task | 100% |
Repeat
An internal repeat is where you take all of your modules again, including any you passed. An external repeat is where you only re-take the modules you failed.
| Method | Percentage contribution |
|---|---|
| Set Task | 100% |
Repeat Information
Repeat type: Internal & External