FACULTY OF ENGINEERING AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIESCivil Engineering

CIVL5452: FOUNDATION ENGINEERINGSemester 2, 2014 | 6 Credit Points | Mode: Normal-Day Sessions Valid: Semester 2 Coordinator(s): David AireyWARNING: This unit version is currently being edited and is subject to change!

1. INTRODUCTION

The objectives of this unit are to gain an understanding of the design process in foundation engineering, tounderstand the importance of site investigation and field testing, and to learn how to deal with uncertainty. Toachieve these objectives students are asked to design foundations using real data. Students will develop theability to interpret the results of a site investigation; to use laboratory and field data to design simplefoundations; develop an appreciation of the interaction between the soil, foundation system and the supportedstructure. The syllabus is comprised of field testing, site characterisation, interpretation of field data, design pofpile raft and surface footings, support of excavations, soil improvement, and geotechnical report writing

2. LEARNING OUTCOMES

Learning outcomes are the key abilities and knowledge that will be assessed in this unit. See assessmentsummary table below for details of which outcomes are assessed where. Outcomes are listed according to thecourse goals that they support.

Design (Level 4)1. Application of theories of soil mechanics to Foundation design. In particular, the ability to deal withparameter variability and uncertainty that arises with real problems

Engineering/IT Specialisation (Level 5)2. Ability to design foundations (shallow, piled, piled raft) and retaining wall systems3. Ability to interpret borehole log data to determine soil parameters and develop a geotechnical model

Maths/Science Methods and Tools (Level 4)4. Understanding of basic principles of soil mechanics, and of the limitations of these theories

Communication (Level 4)5. Ability to write a geotechnical report

For further details of course goals related to these learning outcomes, see online unit outline athttp://cusp.eng.usyd.edu.au/students/view-unit-page/alpha/CIVL5452 .

3. ASSESSMENT TASKS

ASSESSMENT SUMMARYAssessment name Team-based? Weight Due Outcomes AssessedQuiz No 20% Week 7 2, 3, 4Project Yes 20% Week 13 1, 2, 3, 4, 5Final Exam No 50% Exam Period 3Assignment No 10% Multiple Weeks 1, 2, 3, 4

ASSESSMENT DESCRIPTION

Quiz: Mid-semester quiz

Project: Design Project

Final Exam: Final examination

Assignment: Tutorial exercises

4. ATTRIBUTES DEVELOPED

Attributes listed here represent the course goals designated for this unit. The list below describes how theseattributes are developed through practice in the unit. See Learning Outcomes and Assessment sections above fordetails of how these attributes are assessed.

CIVL5452: Foundation Engineering (Semester 2, 2014)

Attribute MethodDesign (Level 4) Students have to work from basic soil log data and finally design a

foundation. As the data is messy the need to develop judgement andproblem solving skills is required. There is no single solution to thedesign problem.

Engineering/IT Specialisation (Level5)

Current methods of design used in industry are taught, and studentsuse current computer programs to perform analysis and design

Maths/Science Methods and Tools(Level 4)

A thorough knowledge of the theories and concepts of soil mechanics,and how these are applied in practice is required in this unit

Communication (Level 4) Students are required to write a professional engineering report for animaginary client.

Project Management and Team Skills(Level 3)

Students work in teams to solve the design problems.

For further details of course goals and professional attribute standards, see the online version of this outline athttp://cusp.eng.usyd.edu.au/students/view-unit-page/alpha/CIVL5452 .

5. STUDY COMMITMENT

Lecture: Lectures will be given to provide background information, new concepts, and theoretical and analyticalapproaches to foundation problems.

Project Work - own time: Project will require work outside class time to complete.

Tutorial: Tutorial exercises will be conducted throughout the semester, to develop analytical skills in foundationdesign and to provide indication of exam questions

Independent Study: Study of course material to enable assignments to be completed and concepts understood

Activity Hours per Week Sessions per Week Weeks per SemesterProject Work - in class 4.00 2 2Lecture 3.00 2 11Project Work - own time 5.00 1 2Tutorial 1.00 1 13Independent Study 2.00 1 13

Standard unit of study workload at this university should be from 1.5 to 2 hours per credit point which means 9-12 hours for a normal 6 credit point unit of study. For units that are based on research or practical experience,hours may vary. For lecture and tutorial timetable, see University timetable site at:web.timetable.usyd.edu.au/calendar.jsp

6. TEACHING STAFF AND CONTACT DETAILS

COORDINATOR(S)Name Room Phone Email Contact noteA/Prof Airey, David david.airey@sydney.edu.au

LECTURERSName Room Phone Email Contact noteA/Prof Airey, David david.airey@sydney.edu.au

7. RESOURCES

RECOMMENDED REFERENCES

Tomlinson, M.J., Foundation Design and Construction (6th). Pitman, 1995. 0-582-22697-X.

Peck, Hanson and Thornburn, Foundation Engineering (2nd). John Wiley, 1973. 0-471-67586-5.

Poulos H.G. and Davis E.H., Pile Foundation Analysis and Design (1st). John Wiley, 1980. 0-471-02084-2.

Fleming, Weltman, Randolph and Elson, Piling Engineering (2nd). Halsted Press, 1994. 0419161805.

Das B.M., Principles of Foundation Engineering (6th). Thomson, 2007. 0-495-08246-5.

8. ENROLMENT REQUIREMENTS

ASSUMED KNOWLEDGE

CIVL2410 AND CIVL3411. Students are assumed to have a good knowledge of fundamental soil mechanics,which is covered in the courses of soil mechanics (settlement, water flow, soil strength) and foundationengineering (soil models, stability analyses; slope stability; retaining walls; foundation capacity)

CIVL5452: Foundation Engineering (Semester 2, 2014)

PREREQUISITES

None.

9. POLICIES

See the policies page of the faculty website at http://sydney.edu.au/engineering/student-policies/ for informationregarding university policies and local provisions and procedures within the Faculty of Engineering andInformation Technologies.

10. WEEKLY SCHEDULE

Note that the "Weeks" referred to in this Schedule are those of the official university semester calendarhttps://web.timetable.usyd.edu.au/calendar.jsp

Week Topics/ActivitiesWeek 1 Site investigationWeek 2 Field testingWeek 3 Shallow foundations - bearing capacityWeek 4 Shallow foundations - settlementWeek 5 Retaining wallsWeek 6 Raft foundations - existing solutionsWeek 7 Raft foundations - computer solutions

Assessment Due: QuizWeek 8 Pile foundations - bearingWeek 9 Pile foundations -settlementWeek 10 Pile foundations - groupsWeek 11 Soil improvement and excavationWeek 12 Design ProjectWeek 13 Design Project

Assessment Due: ProjectSTUVAC (Week14)

This week is free for independent study

Exam Period Final examAssessment Due: Final Exam

CIVL5452: Foundation Engineering (Semester 2, 2014)