SMUA4600 Geographical Information Systems Course description

After completing this course, the student has the following learning outcomes, defined as knowledge, skills and general competence:

Knowledge

Students have in-depth knowledge of:

• earth pressure theory
• types of retaining walls and design (serviceability and ultimate limit state)
• excavation support systems including tunnels in soft ground and soil stabilisation
• ground movements due to excavation works and effects on the built environment
• basics of parametric 3D modelling
• the observational method in geotechnical engineering and associated instrumentation and monitoring

Skills

Students can:

• calculate the lateral earth pressure
• select and design retaining walls and excavation support systems
• analyse the behaviour of tunnels in soft ground
• quantify the effect of ground movements on structures
• formulate a geotechnical report and a small research publication

General competence

Students:

• can understand the principles of soil strength, stress history and critical state soil mechanics
• can apply plasticity and limit equilibrium methods to analyse earth support systems
• are familiar with excavation-induced ground movements and their impacts on close by structures
• can understand the principles of the observational method in geotechnical engineering
• have an overview of geotechnical instrumentation and monitoring solutions
• have the writing skills to formulate a geotechnical report or a small research publication

None

Lectures, exercises and projects

If lectures are delivered online, they may be recorded, and the recordings will be made available to students on Canvas.

The following work requirements are mandatory and must be approved to sit for the exam:

Present solutions to handed out example problems. The student will be given 3 example papers with around 6 problems related to course content. Students need to present it and get approved.

3 written reports on the practical application of the course content.

The exam consists of two parts:

1) Individual 2-hour written exam under supervision, weighted 60%

2) Written reports and individual oral presentation (max. 10 minute presentation followed by 10 min Q&A), weighted 40%

All assessment parts must be awarded a pass grade (E or better) in order for the student to pass the course. The project reports must be done before the exam.

Assessment part 1) can be appealed. Assessment part 2) can not be appealed.

For (1): A print summarising the lecture content (will be provided to the students) and a calculator that cannot be used to communicate with others.

For (2): All types of materials and equipment are allowed.

Grade scale A-F

1) One internal examiner,

2) Two internal examiners

External examiners are used regularly.

Stefan Ritter

MABY5410 Advanced soil mechanics

MABY5420 Geotechnical Site Investigation and Ground Modelling