Outline

Overview

This course provides an elementary introduction to Geotechnical Engineering, and provides the basic mechanics necessary for the detailed study of Geotechnical Engineering. This course aims to provide an understanding of: the nature of soils as engineering materials; common soil classification schemes; the importance of water in the soil and the effects of water movement; methods of predicting soil settlements, the stress-strain-strength response of soils, and earth pressures.

Unit details and rules

Academic unit	Civil Engineering
Credit points	6
Prerequisites ?	None
Corequisites ?	None
Prohibitions ?	None
Assumed knowledge ?	CIVL2201 AND GEOL1501 AND (CIVL1802 or ENGG1802). An understanding of simple statics, equilibrium, forces and bending moments, and of stress and strain and the relationship between them. This is covered by University of Sydney courses CIVL1802 Statics (or ENGG1802 Engineering Mechanics), CIVL2201 Structural Mechanics. Familiarity with the use of spreadsheets (Excel, Mathcad) to obtain solutions to engineering problems, and with the graphical presentation of this data. Familiarity with word processing packages for report presentation. Familiarity with partial differential equations, and their analytical and numerical solution.
Available to study abroad and exchange students	Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator	David Airey, david.airey@sydney.edu.au

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Final exam (Take-home short release)	Final exam Type D	60%	Formal exam period	3 hours
Outcomes assessed:
Tutorial quiz	Pre-lab quiz	2%	Multiple weeks	n/a
Outcomes assessed:
Tutorial quiz	Quiz	10%	Multiple weeks	n/a
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Lab report	8%	Multiple weeks	n/a
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Computing assignment - part 1 Excel spreadsheet	10%	Week 10	n/a
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Computing assignment - part 2	10%	Week 11	n/a
Outcomes assessed:
= group assignment ? = Type D final exam ?

Assessment summary

Quiz: In-class exercises are used to assess students’ understanding of key concepts each week. Best 9 out of 12 will be taken.
Pre-lab Quizzes: Pre-laboratory online material is to be read before the sessions and each laboratory is preceded by an online quiz.
Lab Report: Lab reports will address student development in their presentation and analysis skills. Students are expected to present a professional documentation of their experiments and analysis associated with the concepts learned within this UoS.
Computing Assignment: This assignment is designed to reinforce theoretical concepts and develop the students` skills in the use of Excel. There are two parts to this assessment; part 1 is to develop a spreadsheet to solve a design problem, and part 2 is to write a report describing the outcomes of the design exercise.
Final Exam: The examination at the end of the semester will measure students’ understanding of the concepts covered during the whole semester.

Detailed information for each assessment can be found on Canvas.

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2014 (Schedule 1).

As a general guide, a high distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a distinction a very high standard, a credit a good standard, and a pass an acceptable standard.

Result name	Mark range	Description
High distinction	85 - 100
Distinction	75 - 84
Credit	65 - 74
Pass	50 - 64
Fail	0 - 49	When you don’t meet the learning outcomes of the unit to a satisfactory standard.

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and automated writing tools

You may only use generative AI and automated writing tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator. If you do use these tools, you must acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section. The assessment instructions or unit outline will give guidance of the types of tools that are permitted and how the tools should be used.

Your final submitted work must be your own, original work. You must acknowledge any use of generative AI tools that have been used in the assessment, and any material that forms part of your submission must be appropriately referenced. For guidance on how to acknowledge the use of AI, please refer to the AI in Education Canvas site.

The unapproved use of these tools or unacknowledged use will be considered a breach of the Academic Integrity Policy and penalties may apply.

Studiosity is permitted unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission as detailed on the Learning Hub’s Canvas page.

Outside assessment tasks, generative AI tools may be used to support your learning. The AI in Education Canvas site contains a number of productive ways that students are using AI to improve their learning.

Learning support

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Multiple weeks	Flow Net Laboratory	Practical (2 hr)
	Oedometer Laboratory Session	Practical (2 hr)
	Shear Box Laboratory Session	Practical (2 hr)
Week 01	Introduction and Classification	Lecture (2 hr)
	Classification Tutorial	Lecture and tutorial (2 hr)
	Classification	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 02	Definitions and Compaction	Lecture (1 hr)
	Definitions	Lecture and tutorial (2 hr)
	Soil Definitions	Tutorial (1 hr)
	Soil Classification Laboratory Session	Practical (2 hr)
Week 03	Compaction and Effective Stress	Lecture (2 hr)
	Effective Stress and Compaction	Lecture and tutorial (2 hr)
	Effective stress and Compaction	Tutorial (1 hr)
	Compaction Laboratory Session	Practical (2 hr)
Week 04	Water Flow through Soil	Lecture (2 hr)
	Drawing Flow Nets	Lecture and tutorial (2 hr)
	Drawing Flow Nets	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 05	Flow Nets, Calculations and Piping	Lecture (2 hr)
	Flow Net calculations	Lecture and tutorial (2 hr)
	Flow Net Calculations	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 06	One dimensional soil compression	Lecture (2 hr)
	One dimensional compression	Lecture and tutorial (2 hr)
	One dimensional compression	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 07	One-dimensional Settlement	Lecture (2 hr)
	One-dimensional settlement	Lecture and tutorial (2 hr)
	One-dimensional settlement	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 08	One-dimensional Consolidation	Lecture (2 hr)
	One-dimensional consolidation	Lecture and tutorial (2 hr)
	One-dimensional consolidation	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 09	Elastic Soil Mechanics	Lecture (2 hr)
	Elastic Soil Mechanics	Lecture and tutorial (2 hr)
	Elastic Soil Mechanics	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 10	Settlements of Elastic Soil	Lecture (2 hr)
	Settlements for Elastic Soil	Lecture and tutorial (2 hr)
	Settlements for Elastic Soil	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 11	Soil Strength and Introduction to Critical State Soil Mechanics	Lecture (2 hr)
	Soil Strength and Critical State Soil Mechanics	Lecture and tutorial (2 hr)
	Soil Strength and Critical State Soil Mechanics	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 12	Soil Stability - Retaining Walls	Lecture (2 hr)
	Soil Stability - Retaining Walls	Lecture and tutorial (2 hr)
	Soil Stability - Retaining Walls	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 13	Soil Stability - Retaining Walls - Coulomb	Lecture (2 hr)
	Revision	Lecture and tutorial (2 hr)
	Soil Stability - Coulomb	Tutorial (1 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

Attendance at scheduled laboratory classes is compulsory

Attendance at weekly 1 hour tutorial sessions are compulsory

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

Outcomes
Graduate qualities

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

LO1. demonstrate proficiency in handling experimental data, including strength parameters
LO2. analyse and report the results of a laboratory experiment at a professional standard
LO3. develop and use a spreadsheet to analyse a geotechnical design problem
LO4. give an engineering classification of any piece of soil, and on this basis predict how it will perform as an engineering material
LO5. calculate the settlements, and rates of settlement, under structures of various shapes and sizes
LO6. explain the advantages and limitations of the different methods of settlement calculation
LO7. determine the strength parameters appropriate to a range of stability problems, and understand the difference between total and effective stress approaches
LO8. understand the principle of effective stress, and be able to apply this to calculate the stresses causing soil deformation
LO9. calculate quantities of water flowing through the ground, and understand the effects that water flow has on the soil.

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1	Depth of disciplinary expertise Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.
GQ2	Critical thinking and problem solving Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.
GQ3	Oral and written communication Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.
GQ4	Information and digital literacy Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.
GQ5	Inventiveness Generating novel ideas and solutions.
GQ6	Cultural competence Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.
GQ7	Interdisciplinary effectiveness Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.
GQ8	Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.
GQ9	Influence Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes	Graduate qualities
Learning outcomes

Responding to student feedback

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

Increased availability of online resources

Additional information

Work, health and safety

For students doing laboratory work there is a safety quiz that must be completed before the first laboratory session.

Appropriate footwear must be worn to enter the laboratory.

Mobile phones are not to be used during laboratory sessions.

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.

Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Work, health and safety

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect

Current students

CIVL2410: Soil Mechanics

Semester 2, 2021 [Normal day] - Remote

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Work, health and safety

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect