CQUniversity Unit Profile
ENEC20003 Geotechnical Engineering Design
Geotechnical Engineering Design
All details in this unit profile for ENEC20003 have been officially approved by CQUniversity and represent a learning partnership between the University and you (our student).
The information will not be changed unless absolutely necessary and any change will be clearly indicated by an approved correction included in the profile.
General Information

Overview

Geotechnical Engineering Design will enable you to develop and apply your knowledge of Australian Standards and/or relevant guidance to analyse and design advanced geotechnical engineering structures involving a broad range of investigations. You will also learn to use computer software to analyse and design the geotechnical components; conduct site investigations, test and characterise geotechnical materials, design foundations and earth retaining structures; and make assessments of geotechnical stability. You will also formulate, plan, manage and complete projects individually and in teams in an ethical and professional manner by considering stakeholders and sustainability requirements. You will also document and communicate engineering information using appropriate language for a professional engineer. If you are enrolled in distance mode, you will be required to attend a compulsory residential school during the term.

Details

Career Level: Postgraduate
Unit Level: Level 9
Credit Points: 12
Student Contribution Band: 8
Fraction of Full-Time Student Load: 0.25

Pre-requisites or Co-requisites

Anti-Requisite: ENEC14014 Structural and Geotechnical Design

Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).

Offerings For Term 1 - 2019

Melbourne
Mixed Mode
Perth
Rockhampton

Attendance Requirements

All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes – in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).

Residential Schools

This unit has a Compulsory Residential School for distance mode students and the details are:
Click here to see your Residential School Timetable.

Class and Assessment Overview

Recommended Student Time Commitment

Each 12-credit Postgraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 25 hours of study per week, making a total of 300 hours for the unit.

Class Timetable

Bundaberg, Cairns, Emerald, Gladstone, Mackay, Rockhampton, Townsville
Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney

Assessment Overview

1. Written Assessment
Weighting: 30%
2. Written Assessment
Weighting: 20%
3. Practical Assessment
Weighting: 20%
4. Examination
Weighting: 30%

Assessment Grading

This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of ‘pass’ in order to pass the unit. If any ‘pass/fail’ tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully (‘pass’ grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the ‘assessment task’ section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%). Consult the University’s Grades and Results Policy for more details of interim results and final grades.

Previous Student Feedback

Feedback, Recommendations and Responses

Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.

Feedback from Moodle website

Feedback

Students found the new topics that were added compared to the last offering of this course very informative and useful. E.g.: Numerical Analysis, Soil Reinforcement and Ground Improvement.

Recommendation

Continue to add more useful topics for Term 2, 2018.

Feedback from Moodle website

Feedback

This course is designed in such a way that students can gain knowledge in various areas such as software, laboratory test, research topic etc.

Recommendation

Continue to keep the same quality every year.

Feedback from Moodle website

Feedback

The assessment items were designed effectively to help students with their final year project.

Recommendation

Continue to keep the same quality every year.

Unit Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
  1. Design group piles, pad foundations and earth retaining structures and assess stability of slopes
  2. Formulate, plan, manage and complete projects individually or in teams in an ethical and professional manner considering stakeholder requirements and principals of sustainable development
  3. Apply site investigation and geotechnical testing techniques to characterise sites and geotechnical materials based on Australian Standards
  4. Use appropriate software to analyse geotechnical components
  5. Demonstrate a professional level of communication and leadership.

The Learning Outcomes for this unit are linked with Engineers Australia's Stage 1 Competency Standard for Professional Engineers.

Alignment of Learning Outcomes, Assessment and Graduate Attributes
N/A Level
Introductory Level
Intermediate Level
Graduate Level
Professional Level
Advanced Level

Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes

Assessment Tasks Learning Outcomes
1 2 3 4 5
1 - Written Assessment - 30%
2 - Written Assessment - 20%
3 - Practical Assessment - 20%
4 - Examination - 30%

Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes

Graduate Attributes Learning Outcomes
1 2 3 4 5
1 - Knowledge
2 - Communication
3 - Cognitive, technical and creative skills
4 - Research
5 - Self-management
6 - Ethical and Professional Responsibility
7 - Leadership
8 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures

Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Graduate Attributes

Assessment Tasks Graduate Attributes
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
1 - Written Assessment - 30%
2 - Written Assessment - 20%
3 - Practical Assessment - 20%
4 - Examination - 30%
Textbooks and Resources

Textbooks

Prescribed

FUNDAMENTALS OF GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING

Edition: 5 (2017)
Authors: Braja M. Das, Nagaratnam Sivakugan
Cengage
Boston Boston , MA , United States
ISBN: 9781305635180
Binding: Hardcover

Additional Textbook Information

Copies are available to purchase at the CQUni Bookshop here: http://bookshop.cqu.edu.au (search on the Unit code)

IT Resources

You will need access to the following IT resources:
  • CQUniversity Student Email
  • Internet
  • Unit Website (Moodle)
  • Microsoft Office 2010 or 2013 (Word, Excel and PowerPoint)
  • Geostudio software package
Referencing Style

All submissions for this unit must use the referencing style: Harvard (author-date)

For further information, see the Assessment Tasks.

Teaching Contacts
Farzaneh Tahmoorian Unit Coordinator
f.tahmoorian@cqu.edu.au
Schedule
Week 1 Begin Date: 11 Mar 2019

Module/Topic

Shallow foundations-bearing capacity (Part I)

Chapter

Chapter 16

Events and Submissions/Topic


Week 2 Begin Date: 18 Mar 2019

Module/Topic

Shallow foundations-bearing capacity (Part II)

Chapter

Chapter 16

Events and Submissions/Topic


Week 3 Begin Date: 25 Mar 2019

Module/Topic

Deep foundations-bearing capacity (Part I)

Chapter

Chapter 18

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 4 Begin Date: 01 Apr 2019

Module/Topic

Deep foundations-bearing capacity (Part II)

Chapter

Chapter 18

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 5 Begin Date: 08 Apr 2019

Module/Topic

Retaining walls (Part I)

Chapter

Chapter 15

Events and Submissions/Topic

Vacation Week Begin Date: 15 Apr 2019

Module/Topic

Chapter

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 6 Begin Date: 22 Apr 2019

Module/Topic

Retaining walls (Part II)

Chapter

Chapter 15

Events and Submissions/Topic

Geotechnical Research Due: Week 6 Monday (22 Apr 2019) 4:45 pm AEST
Week 7 Begin Date: 29 Apr 2019

Module/Topic

Soil reinforcement (Part I)

Chapter

Chapter 15

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 8 Begin Date: 06 May 2019

Module/Topic

Soil reinforcement (Part II)

Chapter

Chapter 15

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 9 Begin Date: 13 May 2019

Module/Topic

Slope Stability Analysis

Chapter

Chapter 13

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 10 Begin Date: 20 May 2019

Module/Topic

Ground improvement techniques

Chapter

Chapter 11

Events and Submissions/Topic

Numerical analysis Due: Week 10 Monday (20 May 2019) 4:45 pm AEST
Week 11 Begin Date: 27 May 2019

Module/Topic

Site investigation

Chapter

Chapter 12

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 12 Begin Date: 03 Jun 2019

Module/Topic

Review

Chapter

Review

Events and Submissions/Topic

Practical laboratory report Due: Week 12 Monday (3 June 2019) 4:45 pm AEST
Review/Exam Week Begin Date: 10 Jun 2019

Module/Topic

Chapter

Events and Submissions/Topic

Exam Week Begin Date: 17 Jun 2019

Module/Topic

Chapter

Events and Submissions/Topic

Term Specific Information

All assignments must be submitted on time. Later submission penalty (5% per day) will apply if valid extension evidence is not provided before the due date of the assignment. For a list of valid extension requests please refer to the CQUniversity legal documents.

Assessment Tasks

1 Written Assessment

Assessment Title
Geotechnical Research

Task Description

For this assessment, students will form teams and will conduct research on the available topics on the unit website. These topics are related to the advanced methods for estimating the bearing capacity of the soil for foundation design, stability analyses, retaining structures design and exploration of the related Australian Standards. In some cases, students may also require using related geotechnical software packages for their report. Students are required to submit their report and also present it orally.


Assessment Due Date

Week 6 Monday (22 Apr 2019) 4:45 pm AEST


Return Date to Students

Week 11 Monday (27 May 2019)


Weighting
30%

Minimum mark or grade
50

Assessment Criteria

The following criteria will be assessed for submissions:

a) The format of the report and including the cover page, table of contents, abstract, literature, conclusion and examples (if any);
b) The coherence of the research;
c) Completeness of the research and its details;
e) Complete Referencing; and
f) Quality of the presentation. 

Professional presentation:
The following will demonstrate the components and requirements of the presentation:
a) The research is clearly identified;
b) A clear statement of each topic and its details and requirements;
c) Appropriate use of diagrams and clear diagrams;
d) Correct use of terminologies; and
e) Clear English in the explanation of the procedure and interpretation of the results.

Grades for the assessment will be determined based on the evidence and substantiation of attainment of the Learning Outcomes. After submission of the team report, students will present their report orally as a team and all are required to contribute to delivering the presentations. Students must be well prepared for any question raised by the lecturer during the presentation about the topic of their research. The team submission will be assessed and a grade will be given to each team. The individual grade will be determined based on the contribution and performance of each student during the presentation (i.e., quality of the presentation and answers to the raised questions).

Each student's contribution will be determined by a peer assessment. It may be possible that the individual grade is higher than the team mark component. 50% of the total grade is attributed to the team report, 25% for the team presentation and the other 25% is attributed to the individual students' performance during the presentation.

Example:

Team A (4 students) has gained 80% on its team report. During the presentation, the team received 70% for their presentation and the performance values of the students were 50%, 100%, 90% and 70%, respectively. The final grade of each student for the team project (out of 30%) will be:

Student 1: (80*50%+70*25%+50*25%)*30%=21 out of 30
Student 2: (80*50%+70*25%+100*25%)*30%=24.8 out of 30
Student 3: (80*50%+70*25%+90*25%)*30%=24 out of 30
Student 4: (80*50%+70*25%+70*25%)*30%=22.5 out of 30


Referencing Style

Submission
Online Group

Learning Outcomes Assessed
  • Design group piles, pad foundations and earth retaining structures and assess stability of slopes
  • Formulate, plan, manage and complete projects individually or in teams in an ethical and professional manner considering stakeholder requirements and principals of sustainable development
  • Demonstrate a professional level of communication and leadership.


Graduate Attributes
  • Knowledge
  • Communication
  • Cognitive, technical and creative skills
  • Research
  • Self-management
  • Ethical and Professional Responsibility
  • Leadership

2 Written Assessment

Assessment Title
Numerical analysis

Task Description

The aim of this assessment is to allow the students to demonstrate their understanding of various concepts, theories and processes developed in the course. This may include but is not limited to skills to develop a numerical analysis for foundation design, determination of foundation settlement, soil reinforcement, slope stability, retaining structures and site investigation.


Assessment Due Date

Week 10 Monday (20 May 2019) 4:45 pm AEST


Return Date to Students

Week 12 Friday (7 June 2019)


Weighting
20%

Minimum mark or grade
50

Assessment Criteria

Each question in this assessment will be assessed separately for the:

  1. Criterion accuracy and correct results;
  2. Correct application of mathematics and arithmetic;
  3. Clear answers; and
  4. Correct results.

In addition, the assessment as a whole will be assessed against the following criteria:

  • Evidence of correct procedures;
  • The correct order of necessary steps in the analysis;
  • Clear presentation of the mathematics;
  • Details of the problem with the obtained results; and
  • Presentation of pieces of evidence for checking results (mathematics and graphs).

Evidence of understanding of the topic:

  • Explanation of choices made in the analysis (why this procedure is required & why this particular procedure); and
  • Interpretation of results.

Students are required to submit MS Excel, Word and software code for this assessment.


Referencing Style

Submission
Online

Learning Outcomes Assessed
  • Formulate, plan, manage and complete projects individually or in teams in an ethical and professional manner considering stakeholder requirements and principals of sustainable development
  • Use appropriate software to analyse geotechnical components


Graduate Attributes
  • Knowledge
  • Communication
  • Cognitive, technical and creative skills
  • Research
  • Self-management
  • Ethical and Professional Responsibility

3 Practical Assessment

Assessment Title
Practical laboratory report

Task Description

Practical exercises assist the students in achieving the Learning Outcomes for this unit. Students are required to complete the laboratory activities as per instructions given in the Practical Instruction Sheets. The Practical Instruction Sheets and report requirements will be given on the unit website. Students will handle soil and rock samples and it is possible that clothes become dusty and wet. Students must wear appropriate clothing for laboratory work, including closed shoes. Students who behave unprofessionally or risk the safety of other people or damage the equipment may be excluded from the laboratory class, and consequently, they may fail to complete compulsory assessment tasks and fail the unit. Students must attend the lab session before the start of the session and those who are late more than 15 minutes will be excluded and cannot attend other groups.


Assessment Due Date

Week 12 Monday (3 June 2019) 4:45 pm AEST


Return Date to Students

Exam Week Friday (21 June 2019)


Weighting
20%

Minimum mark or grade
50

Assessment Criteria

Each student must prepare a technical description of the test and associated procedures and should prepare a datasheet to be used to record the results during the test.
Each student must prepare a short test report for each experiment. This includes calculations and discussion on the results and the test procedure description.
Test reports must be short and precise to point out calculations/results/graphs and discussion. The limit for explaining the procedure, results and conclusions is a maximum of 3 pages (Word/PDF file).
A complete submission for practical assessment includes 2 files (in a zipped folder):

  • An Excel File with all analysis and graphs. All cells must be formula-based to track the calculations,
  • Word/PDF file to explain the procedure, results and conclusions (maximum 3 pages).

Please also note that a practical report is of individual submission and each student should do their own analysis and explanations based on the test they have carried out.


Referencing Style

Submission
Online

Learning Outcomes Assessed
  • Apply site investigation and geotechnical testing techniques to characterise sites and geotechnical materials based on Australian Standards
  • Demonstrate a professional level of communication and leadership.


Graduate Attributes
  • Knowledge
  • Communication
  • Cognitive, technical and creative skills
  • Self-management
  • Ethical and Professional Responsibility
  • Leadership

Examination

Outline
Complete an invigilated examination

Date
During the examination period at a CQUniversity examination centre

Weighting
30%

Length
180 minutes

Minimum mark or grade
50

Exam Conditions
Closed Book

Materials
Dictionary - non-electronic, concise, direct translation only (dictionary must not contain any notes or comments).
Calculator - all non-communicable calculators, including scientific, programmable and graphics calculators are authorised
Academic Integrity Statement

As a CQUniversity student you are expected to act honestly in all aspects of your academic work.

Any assessable work undertaken or submitted for review or assessment must be your own work. Assessable work is any type of work you do to meet the assessment requirements in the unit, including draft work submitted for review and feedback and final work to be assessed.

When you use the ideas, words or data of others in your assessment, you must thoroughly and clearly acknowledge the source of this information by using the correct referencing style for your unit. Using others’ work without proper acknowledgement may be considered a form of intellectual dishonesty.

Participating honestly, respectfully, responsibly, and fairly in your university study ensures the CQUniversity qualification you earn will be valued as a true indication of your individual academic achievement and will continue to receive the respect and recognition it deserves.

As a student, you are responsible for reading and following CQUniversity’s policies, including the Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure. This policy sets out CQUniversity’s expectations of you to act with integrity, examples of academic integrity breaches to avoid, the processes used to address alleged breaches of academic integrity, and potential penalties.

What is a breach of academic integrity?

A breach of academic integrity includes but is not limited to plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, cheating, contract cheating, and academic misconduct. The Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure defines what these terms mean and gives examples.

Why is academic integrity important?

A breach of academic integrity may result in one or more penalties, including suspension or even expulsion from the University. It can also have negative implications for student visas and future enrolment at CQUniversity or elsewhere. Students who engage in contract cheating also risk being blackmailed by contract cheating services.

Where can I get assistance?

For academic advice and guidance, the Academic Learning Centre (ALC) can support you in becoming confident in completing assessments with integrity and of high standard.

What can you do to act with integrity?