COURSE OUTLINE

Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology School of Engineering

7031ENG ADVANCED FOUNDATION ENGINEERING

1 Identifying Information
Course catalogue no: Course title: Field of Education Code Year and semester of offer: Credit point value Program/s for which course is designed Status of Course within program/s or academic plan/s Prerequisites: Course convenor Teaching team members: Date course outline was last modified 7031ENG Advanced Foundation Engineering 2004, semester 1 10CP

MEng (Structural Engineering & Construction) Convenor: Professor YC Loo

Core Course, MEng (Structural Engineering & Construction)

N/A Professor A. S. Balasubramaniam Professor A. S. Balasubramaniam Moderator: Professor YC Loo th 29 May 2003

Room G09 1.14 Room G09 1.14 Room G09 1.02

Objectives The main purpose of this course is to introduce the design principles in foundation engineering to engineers who are specialising in structural engineering & construction. Major emphasis will be on the analytical methods and the problem solving aspects as related to foundations and basements of buildings. Ground improvement works associated with foundation engineering will also be included. Upon successful completion of this course, the students should be able to analyse and design both shallow and deep foundations, excavation works related to basements of buildings, and appreciate the crucial role of sophisticated instrumentation in modern construction of foundations and basements of buildings.

Links with other Courses

Almost all civil engineering structures are founded on safe foundations. As such the course has links with other courses such as: bridge engineering, advanced steel structures, and, advanced reinforced concrete.

Brief Description
This course covers the planning and site investigation works for foundations, the selection of foundation systems on different types of soils, and the evaluation of the bearing capacity and settlement of shallow and deep foundations in cohesive and cohesionless soils. It also covers the role of total and effective stress analysis, comprehensive instrumentation techniques for the

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measurement of soil deformations, earth pressures and pore water pressures as well as stresses and strains in foundation elements, and supported and un-supported excavations and associated ground improvement techniques.

Content
Topic Planning and implementation of site investigation programs Types of shallow foundations and their design considerations Settlement analysis of shallow and deep foundations Piled and piled raft foundations Excavation techniques for basements of buildings and earth pressure theories and earth retaining structures Instrumentation in major projects Ground improvement techniques Weighting (%) 10 10 20 30 15 10 5

Generic Skills Development

Practiced Assessed * * * * * Taught

Attribute

Developed through:

Oral communication Written communication Problem identification, formulation and solution Analysis and critical evaluation Ability to work effectively as a team member Ability to take responsibility & make decision * * Tutorial exercises, assignments and laboratory reports Worked examples, tutorial exercises, research activities through assignments, and, examinations Tutorial exercises, research activities through assignments, and, examinations Laboratory and field activities Evaluating the test data and discussing their reliability and influence in geotechnical works

* *

Flexible Learning
This course is web supplemented. Copies of handouts are available from the course website at Learning@Griffith. In addition, the assignment details and the marks awarded for assessment items are progressively uploaded onto the web site.

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Rationale for Content

Modern foundation engineering covers a multitude of activities from site investigation works to the analysis, design and safe construction control. Thus the course has a realistic component on site investigation methods, and, implementation, followed by the evaluation of bearing capacity using the total and effective stress methods. Settlement evaluation of structures on clays and granular soils and their tolerable limits are also important considerations in foundation design. Design aspects of shallow foundations are also included. Most major structures currently involve pile groups and piled raft foundations thus the analysis of single piles and pile groups both for safe bearing capacity and tolerable settlements are crucial. Additional considerations relate to the lateral load capacity of piles, possible negative skin friction and finally the role of pile testing. Basements of tall buildings are now an integral part of all projects for parking of vehicles and the efficient utility of underground space, thus excavation methods and their safety control are included.

Organization and Teaching Methods

The contact hours in this course will be as follows: ACTIVITY Lectures (13 weeks, 3 hours per week) Tutorials (13 weeks, 1 hour per week) Laboratory sessions (week 3, 5, 7, 8, 11, 12) (6 lab sessions) Research activities CONTACT HOURS 39 13 12 20 ___ 84

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Rationale for Teaching Methods The lecture materials are directly prepared from published papers and authors who are engaged in foundation engineering for their life time, as such these materials have a
direct relevance to practice and are not hypothetical lecture materials. The tutorials will be blend with case histories and also incorporate sound fundamentals while practical in nature. Assignments are given so that the students can work in groups on specific topics as teams. These assignments also have a research emphasis, so that the students are forced to read materials beyond their lectures and tutorials and to express their critical opinions on current methods of design and analysis as traditionally practiced in foundation engineering.

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Assessment
Assessment items: NO 1 2 3 4 DESCRIPTION Tutorial problems (due week 3,5,7,9,11) Five (5) Laboratory reports (due week 4, 6, 8, 10, 12) One assignment (max. 20-30 pages, due week 11) Open-book final examination (180 min) WEIGHTING (%) 20% 20% 20% 40% 100%

Each student must attempt all items of assessment. To obtain a passing grade in this course, the student must obtain a total mark of 50% or higher.
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Rationale for Assessment

The tutorial problems are designed to encourage students to study. The assignment is intended to test the students ability in working independently, and in formulating the correct ideas and to complete a project in time with the associated report writing. The final examination is to assess the students knowledge and understanding of the course as a whole.

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Texts and Supporting Materials

Specified Text Balasubramaniam, A.S., 2004, Compiled Notes in Foundation Engineering, Griffith University Other References Tomlinson, M.J., 1995, Foundation Design & Construction, Longman Scientific & Technical

Publishers Poulos, H.G. & Davis, E.H., 1980, Pile Foundation Analysis and Design, John Wiley & Sons 14 Course Evaluation A formal survey of the students will be undertaken towards the end of the semester. The results of the survey will be discussed by the teaching team and any necessary modifications to the course planned for the next offering. 15 Administration
Unless otherwise stated, the normal course administration policies and rules of the School of Engineering apply. See the School of Engineering Notice Board for details. The attention of students is drawn to the Universitys Policy on Academic Misconduct. http://www62.gu.edu.au/policylibrary.nsf/mainsearch/352f26aa1a1011e64a256bbb0062fd5f?o pendocument. It is recommended that students read this policy. For tutorial exercises and assignments, whereas students may work together in problem solving, writing up should be the sole work of the student submitting. The course website on Learning@Griffith will be used to provide feedback on marks and to post other relevant information.

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Course Communications
The Course Convenor is available for consultation at times that are displayed on the Convenors office notice board (outside G09_1.14). Queries may also be emailed to the Course Convenor at a.bala@griffith.edu.au

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