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Unit Summary
Unit type
UG Coursework Unit
Credit points
12
AQF level
Level of learning
Advanced
Former School/College
Pre-requisites
Unit aim
Introduces students to fundamentals of soil mechanics and geology, soils and their behaviour along with investigating soils response to applied loads. This unit presents and discusses the methods of interpreting physical and mechanical properties of soils that are encountered by civil engineers.
Unit content
- Composition and particle sizes of the soil
- Phase relationship, physical states and soil classification
- Determination of liquid limit, plastic limit and linear shrinkage
- Flow of water in the soil and soil hydraulic conductivity
- Soil compaction
- Surface load stresses and principle of effective stress
- Soil settlement
- Soil strength
Learning outcomes
Unit Learning Outcomes express learning achievement in terms of what a student should know, understand and be able to do on completion of a unit. These outcomes are aligned with the graduate attributes. The unit learning outcomes and graduate attributes are also the basis of evaluating prior learning.
| On completion of this unit, students should be able to: | GA1 | GA2 | GA3 | GA4 | GA5 | GA6 | GA7 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | demonstrate an understanding of the geological and engineering properties of soils | |||||||
| 2 | perform laboratory tests on soil samples to the Australian Standards to determine properties required in analysis and understand the need for accreditation of soil laboratories | |||||||
| 3 | demonstrate proficiency in applying analytical methods to determine stresses and strains in soils under load | |||||||
| 4 | demonstrate understanding of the movement of water in soils | |||||||
On completion of this unit, students should be able to:
-
demonstrate an understanding of the geological and engineering properties of soils
- GA4:
-
perform laboratory tests on soil samples to the Australian Standards to determine properties required in analysis and understand the need for accreditation of soil laboratories
- GA4:
- GA6:
-
demonstrate proficiency in applying analytical methods to determine stresses and strains in soils under load
- GA4:
-
demonstrate understanding of the movement of water in soils
- GA4:
Prescribed texts
- Main Textbook: Budhu, M, 2015, Soil Mechanics Fundamentals, Metric edition, John Wiley & Sons, USA. ISBN: 0470577959, 9780470577950.