Overview
This course develops the principles and practices required to investigate soil and rock conditions and design safe, economical foundations and earth-retaining systems. Topics include soil formation and classification, phase relationships, index properties, compaction, permeability and seepage, effective stress, consolidation and settlement, shear strength, stress distribution, and groundwater effects.
Students examine site investigation and subsurface exploration methods, including Standard Penetration Testing and Cone Penetration Testing, and interpret laboratory and field data for design. Foundation topics include shallow foundations, spread and strip footings, combined footings, raft foundations, driven and bored piles, pile capacity, group action, and settlement. The course also covers retaining structures, lateral earth pressure, slope stability, excavation support, ground improvement, geosynthetics, and introductory seismic and expansive-soil considerations.
Emphasis is placed on Terzaghi and related bearing-capacity theories, consolidation analysis, shear testing, relevant design codes, computational and spreadsheet tools, geotechnical risk assessment, professional safety, and clear communication of design assumptions and limitations. Students prepare a concise geotechnical design report supported by calculations and engineering recommendations.
Learning Outcomes
- Classify and characterize soils using laboratory index properties, phase relationships, compaction data, and field investigation results.
- Analyze seepage, groundwater conditions, effective stress, and stress distribution in soil masses.
- Estimate consolidation settlement, immediate settlement, shear strength, and bearing capacity using appropriate analytical methods.
- Interpret Standard Penetration Test, Cone Penetration Test, laboratory shear-test, and subsurface exploration data for preliminary design.
- Design preliminary shallow foundations, including spread, strip, combined, and raft foundations, for bearing capacity and settlement performance.
- Evaluate preliminary deep-foundation alternatives, including driven and bored piles, pile capacity, group action, and settlement.
- Assess lateral earth pressures, retaining-wall performance, slope stability, excavation support, and geotechnical risks.
- Select suitable soil parameters, design codes, computational tools, and engineering assumptions for geotechnical analyses.
- Synthesize investigation findings and calculations into a concise geotechnical design report that communicates recommendations, safety considerations, and limitations.
Timetable
| Type | Length | Frequency | Period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lecture | 2 hours | Weekly | All semester |
| Lab | 3 hours | Fortnightly | All semester |
| Tutorial | 1 hour | Weekly | All semester |
| Workshop | 2 hours | Fortnightly | Second term |
| Practicum | 3 hours | Fortnightly | First term |
Assessment Schedule
| Type | Description | Weighting |
|---|---|---|
| Assignment | Soil classification and phase-relationship calculations | 15.00% |
| Assignment | Seepage, effective stress, and consolidation analysis | 15.00% |
| Test | Shear strength, stress distribution, and settlement test | 15.00% |
| Assignment | Foundation bearing-capacity and settlement design | 15.00% |
| Assignment | Pile capacity and retaining-structure analysis | 10.00% |
| Capstone | Geotechnical design report supported by calculations | 20.00% |
| Exam | Comprehensive final examination | 10.00% |
Teaching Staff & Programs
This course is delivered jointly by faculty from the participating programs listed below. In line with the Douchewater Way, the University of Sexology tailors core instruction directly to each cohort's specific discipline — adapting curriculum to program needs rather than forcing students into a one-size-fits-all model. Learn more about our approach at The Douchewater Way.
