SMUA4600 Geographical Information Systems Course description

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) is a system of hardware, software, and procedures designed to support the capture, management, manipulation, analysis, modeling and display of spatially referenced data for solving complex planning and management problems. GIS applications use both spatial information (maps) and databases to perform analytical studies.

This course, including both lectures and practices, will cover the fundamental theories and methods of GIS. A series of seminars will enable the students to make practical use of GIS with hands-on experience.

In this course, the students will learn to edit, organize and manipulate spatial data in meaningful ways to solve spatial problems, using ESRI ArcGIS software and different open-source alternatives (QGIS and R).

GIS technology has broad applications in natural and social sciences, humanities, environmental studies, engineering, and management. Examples include: Urban and Regional Planning, Community and Economic Planning and Development, Housing Studies, Transit and Transportation Issues, Land Use, Historic and Archeological Studies, Agriculture and Forestry, Wildlife Habitat Study, Crime Analysis and Policing, Emergency Management and Public Works Utilities, Census and Demographic Studies, Public Health, Contagious Disease Monitoring, and Business uses including Marketing and Advertising. This course will introduce a few selected cases of GIS application in different disciplines.

MABY5410 Advanced soil mechanics

MABY5420 Geotechnical Site Investigation and Ground Modelling

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

Lectures, readings, discussions, project-based learning

Digital lectures will be recorded, and the material will be made available to students on CANVAS.

The following required coursework must be done before a student can take the exam:

1. Students should divide into groups working on the final project (individual work is possible).

2. Two weeks before submitting the project, Students should present their own idea ready for implementation (description) as part of the final project during subject consultations in the form of a discussion.

The assessment consists of three parts:

1. Project work - written report of up to 40 pages, which counts 40%
2. Project work - oral presentation, which counts 20% (duration 20 minutes)
3. Individual oral exam, which counts 40% (duration 20 minutes)

Project work in parts 1 and 2 is done in groups with a maximum of 3 students. Students may also choose to work individually.

All assessment parts must be awarded a pass grade (E or better) in order for the student to pass the course.

Assessment parts 1) can be appealed, parts 2) and 3) cannot be appealed.

All documents and devices must be approved by the teacher.

Graded scale A-F

1) One internal examiner

2) and 3) Two internal examiners

External examiners are used regularly.

Piotr Koziol