Undergraduate Course: Foundation Engineering 4 (CIVE10004)
Course Outline
| School | School of Engineering |
College | College of Science and Engineering |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 10 (Year 4 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 10 |
ECTS Credits | 5 |
| Summary | Foundation Engineering 4 builds on content learnt during Geotechnical Engineering 3 to explore the design of foundation systems according to Eurocode 7 design rules. The course comprises three major learning components: an introduction to ground investigation; the theory and design of deep (piled) foundations (including the alpha method, lateral capacity and group capacity calculations); and the design of shallow foundations (building around the "triple-N" equation approach). Each component is supported through tutorial questions, which also incorporate case study calculations from recent ground investigation or foundation design examples. Note that the course no longer comprises a supporting coursework. |
| Course description |
Course components:
Weeks 1-3: Ground Investigations
- Desk study, field reconnaissance, building a conceptual ground model
- Planning approaches for the Geotechnical Investigation, Soil sampling methods (trial pits, boreholes, samplers)
- Determining ground properties from in situ test methods: SPT; CPT; shear vane; pressuremeter; rising/falling head
Weeks 4-6: Deep foundations
- Capacities of single piles and pile groups in homogeneous cohesive and non-cohesive soil
- Settlement calculations for single piles and pile groups in homogeneous soils
- Capacity calculations for single piles and pile groups in stratified soils
- Settlement calculations for single piles and pile groups in stratified soils
Week 7: Eurocode design for geotechnical structures
- Introduction to Eurocode 7 and the ultimate and serviceability limit states
- Design of single piles and pile groups to Eurocode 7 (ULS and SLS)
Weeks 8-10: Shallow foundation design
- Design of spread foundations to Eurocode 7 for vertical and horizontal drained and undrained capacity
- Implicit calculations for spread foundation vertical settlement
- Empirical calculations for spread foundation vertical settlement (SPT, CPT and pressuremeter)
Week 11: Revision
- Past exam questions
|
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
Students MUST have passed:
Geotechnical Engineering 3 (CIVE09016)
|
Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | None |
| High Demand Course? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
|
| Academic year 2024/25, Available to all students (SV1)
|
Quota: None |
| Course Start |
Semester 1 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
100
(
Lecture Hours 22,
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 10,
Summative Assessment Hours 2,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 2,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
64 )
|
| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
100 %,
Coursework
0 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
|
| Feedback |
Formative (mid-semester) and end-of-course. |
| Exam Information |
| Exam Diet |
Paper Name |
Hours & Minutes |
|
| Main Exam Diet S1 (December) | Foundation Engineering 4 | 2:120 | | | Resit Exam Diet (August) | | 2:00 | |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- plan and undertake a ground investigation;
- demonstrate an ability to design deep foundations;
- demonstrate an ability to design shallow foundations.
|
Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Not entered |
| Keywords | Ground Investigation,Foundation Design |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Christopher Beckett
Tel: (0131 6)51 7119
Email: Christopher.Beckett@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Mr Tom Lawford-Groves
Tel: (0131 6)50 5687
Email: t.lawford-groves@ed.ac.uk |
|
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