CIVL3019 - Advanced Soil Mechanics


CIVL3019			Back
Advanced Soil Mechanics

Main Contact:	Beatrice Baudet		Unit Value:	0.5

Pre-requisites:		CIVL1003 CIVL2004	Lecturers:Dr B Baudet, Dr YP Cheng, Dr P Ferreira Last updated:Baudet 9/20/2006


Overview:
	Educational aims The course aims: • to provide students with a knowledge and understanding of fundamental principles of soil mechanics and of the underlying scientific principles • To provide an introduction to the context in which engineering operates, in terms of safety, environmental and economic aspects • To provide a wide range of intellectual, practical and transferable skills that will allow students to develop careers in research, industry and other professional areas of the economy Learning outcomes Upon successful completion of this course, students will have learned to: • Predict the behaviour of soils within a recognised framework • Understand the limitations of current methods and how natural soils behave • Analyse complex slope problems • Solve soil structure stability using plasticity methods • Present information orally, textually and graphically
Syllabus:
	• Natural soils: ageing and structure • Constitutive equations and Cam Clay • Stiffness of soil (non-linearity, measurement at very small and small strains) • Advanced constitutive modelling of soils • Stability of complex slopes • Stability of soil structures using plasticity methods

Coursework:
	Analysis of slope stability at the Isle of Sheppey: includes a field trip report, literature review and plasticity analysis (30%)
Assessment:
	Coursework – 30% Examination at end of session (3 hours) – 70% Minimum coursework submission required: 60%
Workload:
	Lectures and Tutorials 42 hours Field trip 10 hours Report and project work 20 hours Private reading 30 hours Revision 30 hours
Transferrable skills:
	Intellectual skills • The ability to analyse a problem and use appropriate scientific and professional tools to solve it • The ability to evaluate and confront different methodologies of problem solving, development and design, develop critiques of them and propose alternative avenues where appropriate • The ability to understand and analyse information and data • Creativity and independence of judgement Practical skills • The ability to assess the nature and significance of data, and their relevance to given engineering problems • The ability to use laboratory testing equipment to measure useful data • The ability to design experiments to test specific assumptions and theories about engineering devices and systems Transferable skills: • The ability to retrieve and analyse information from a range of sources • The ability to use IT effectively • The ability to work alone or in teams • The ability to communicate technical and non-technical information clearly and effectively, to both specialist and non-specialist audiences • The ability to exercise initiative, self-sufficiency and leadership where appropriate


Recommended Texts:
	Wood D.M. (1990). Soil behaviour and critical state soil mechanics. Cambridge Press Conference proceedings (ISSMGE…) and journal papers (Géotechnique, ASCE, Soils & Foundations, Canadian Geotechnical Journal….)