EGB373 Geotechnical Engineering

Unit Outline: Semester 2 2025, Gardens Point, Internal

Overview

Geotechnical engineering is prominent field of civil engineering that focuses on design, construction, and
maintenance of foundations of structures (such as buildings, bridges), soil and water retaining structures
(retaining walls and earth dams), soil slopes, road and runway pavements, and buried structures including
pipes and tunnels. Geotechnical engineers use knowledge and skills bases that you will learn in this unit to
meet stakeholders' needs. You will learn the properties of geomaterials, geotechnical engineering principles
and theories, and their applications. You will further develop your personal and professional skills in
communication and engineering teamwork. This unit draws upon your learning in EGB270 Civil Engineering
Materials. EGH473 Advanced Geotechnical Engineering will build upon this unit.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit you will be able to:

1. Explain the properties and behaviour of geotechnical engineering materials and systems theoretically at a developed level.
2. Solve a geotechnical engineering system problem theoretically at a developed level
3. Perform a laboratory practical task to analyse the behaviour, and obtain properties, ofgeotechnical engineering materials at a developed level.
4. Compose a technical report of a geotechnical engineering laboratory practical task thatadheres to a template at developed level.

Content

Learning Approaches

In this unit, you can expect to experience the following timetabled activities: 

• Formal lectures from experienced professional civil engineers to give you insight into knowledge, skills,
  and attributes. You have the opportunity to ask questions during these lectures.
• Tutorial classes that will give you the opportunity to work collaboratively with your peers to solve
  problems. They will be facilitated by tutors and will provide an opportunity to test your understanding
  and gain feedback on your work.
• Laboratory classes where you will work in a group to test soils to measure their permeability,
  consolidation, and shear strength properties

These activities will be detailed by week of semester on the unit schedule. You can also expect to be provided
with learning resources, including video presentations and readings on a unit Canvas site, which you can
access flexibly to complete your learning in this unit.

At the beginning of the unit, you will be made aware of the ways in which you can ask questions or seek
clarification from the unit coordinator, lecturers and tutors.

You are expected to:

• Engage with timetabled learning activities on campus and ask questions.
• Engage with online resources outside of timetabled learning activities. They will be available on the unit
  Canvas site. You will receive regular email announcements regarding the release of these
  resources.
• Consult with your group while preparing your individual laboratory reports.
• Prepare for learning activities according to the unit schedule, and follow up on any work not completed.
  Unit learning outcomes
• Complete assessment tasks by working consistently throughout the semester and meeting the duedates that are published via the unit Canvas site.

Feedback on Learning and Assessment

During tutorial classes, you will share your formative ideas for your assessments and you will receive feedback from your tutor. As a member of an effective group, you will share the outcomes of your laboratory task with your tutor for marking and feedback. You are encouraged to view your group as a learning community and to share and discuss emergent ideas about geotechnical engineering and your understandings of civil engineering professional practice. You will be given two attempts for the online problem-solving task and allowed to get automatic, self, peer, and academic feedback after each attempt. Each assessment submission will be graded against criteria and standards that will be shared with you at the beginning of semester through Assessment Task Descriptions and Marking Rubrics. Marked assessment will include feedback given by the markers against the criteria.

Assessment

Overview

Assessments in this unit have been designed to give you the opportunity to show your learning against the unit learning outcomes. You will work as a group member to perform laboratory practicals and report the results individually following Australian standard test and reporting methods. The online problem-solving task(OPST) will give you the opportunity to demonstrate your theoretical and analytical knowledge in solving practical geotechnical engineering problems/systems. You will sit an examination individually during the central examination period at the end of the semester to show your overall learning in the unit.

Unit Grading Scheme

7- point scale

Assessment Tasks

Assessment: Online Problem Solving Task

 You will work as an individual to complete a problem-solving task containing several questions about practical geotechnical engineering systems and problems within a limited amount of time.

This is an assignment for the purposes of an extension.

Assessment: Laboratory Report

You will work as an individual but in consultation with a group to undertake a laboratory practicals that demonstrate your knowledge and skills to measure soil properties: permeability and consolidation properties (13% towards mark) and shear strength properties (7% towards mark). You will communicate your work as an individual in a technical report that at adheres to a template.

Assessment: Invigilated Written Examination

 You will be required to solve problems about fundamental principles, design, and analysis of geotechnical engineering systems. You will be presented with descriptions of the geotechnical engineering systems. You will need to diagnose the problem type, make use of appropriate theory or methods, demonstrate systems knowledge, show your working, and communicate a complete answer in writing and graphically.

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is a commitment to undertaking academic work and assessment in a manner that is ethical, fair, honest, respectful and accountable.

The Academic Integrity Policy sets out the range of conduct that can be a failure to maintain the standards of academic integrity. This includes, cheating in exams, plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion and contract cheating. It also includes providing fraudulent or altered documentation in support of an academic concession application, for example an assignment extension or a deferred exam.

You are encouraged to make use of QUT’s learning support services, resources and tools to assure the academic integrity of your assessment. This includes the use of text matching software that may be available to assist with self-assessing your academic integrity as part of the assessment submission process.

Breaching QUT’s Academic Integrity Policy or engaging in conduct that may defeat or compromise the purpose of assessment can lead to a finding of student misconduct (Code of Conduct – Student) and result in the imposition of penalties under the Management of Student Misconduct Policy, ranging from a grade reduction to exclusion from QUT.

Resources

Resource Materials

Recommended text(s)

(does not need to be purchased)
Knappett, J. A. and Craig, R. F. 2020. Craig's Soil Mechanics, Ninth Edition. CRC Press,United States.

Risk Assessment Statement

You will be informed of any requirements pertaining to a safe workplace. In lectures, tutorials and such, the information will include location of fire exits and meeting points in case of fire; in any laboratory practicals are organized, you will be advised of requirements of safe and responsible behaviour and will be required to wear appropriate protective items (e.g. closed shoes or steel capped shoes); on any field trips or site visits, you will progress through a safety induction session and where necessary obtain a safety induction card. If you do not follow legitimate instructions or endanger the safety of others or do not act in accordance with the requirements of the Workplace Health and Safety Act, you will be required to leave the session/site

Standards/Competencies

This unit is designed to support your development of the following standards\competencies.

Engineers Australia Stage 1 Competency Standard for Professional Engineer

1: Knowledge and Skill Base

1. 
   Relates to: Online Problem Solving Task, Laboratory Report, Invigilated Written Examination
2. 
   Relates to: Laboratory Report, Invigilated Written Examination

2: Engineering Application Ability

1. 
   Relates to: Online Problem Solving Task, Laboratory Report, Invigilated Written Examination
2. 
   Relates to: Laboratory Report
3. 
   Relates to: Laboratory Report

3: Professional and Personal Attributes

1. 
   Relates to: Laboratory Report

Course Learning Outcomes

EN01 Bachelor of Engineering (Honours)

1. Engage stakeholders professionally and communicate the outcomes of your work effectively to expert and non-expert audiences using appropriate modes.
   Relates to: ULO4, Laboratory Report
2. Manage projects to solve complex engineering problems, using appropriate information, engineering methods, and technologies.
   Relates to: ULO1
3. Engage with and apply regulatory requirements relating to safety, risk management, and sustainability in professional engineering practice.
   Relates to: ULO3, Laboratory Report, Invigilated Written Examination
4. Demonstrate a thorough understanding of one engineering discipline, its research directions, and its application in contemporary professional engineering practice.
   Relates to: ULO2, Online Problem Solving Task, Laboratory Report, Invigilated Written Examination