Course syllabus for Deep foundations

Course syllabus adopted 2022-02-14 by Head of Programme (or corresponding).

Overview

  • Swedish nameDjup grundläggning
  • CodeACE060
  • Credits7.5 Credits
  • OwnerMPIEE
  • Education cycleSecond-cycle
  • Main field of studyCivil and Environmental Engineering
  • DepartmentARCHITECTURE AND CIVIL ENGINEERING
  • GradingTH - Pass with distinction (5), Pass with credit (4), Pass (3), Fail

Course round 1

  • Teaching language English
  • Application code 27125
  • Block schedule
  • Open for exchange studentsYes

Credit distribution

0118 Examination 4.5 c
Grading: TH
4.5 c
  • 29 Maj 2023 am J
  • 07 Okt 2022 pm J
  • 18 Aug 2023 am J
0218 Project 3 c
Grading: TH
3 c

In programmes

Examiner

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Eligibility

General entry requirements for Master's level (second cycle)
Applicants enrolled in a programme at Chalmers where the course is included in the study programme are exempted from fulfilling the requirements above.

Specific entry requirements

English 6 (or by other approved means with the equivalent proficiency level)
Applicants enrolled in a programme at Chalmers where the course is included in the study programme are exempted from fulfilling the requirements above.

Course specific prerequisites

Geotechnics (BOM356) or equivalent undergraduate basic soil mechanics course covering the following topics: effective stress, settlements, slope stability and earth pressure calculations.
Good basic knowledge of the subject of Applied Mechanics with applications within the area of deformations and strength of materials as well as evaluating stability of simple structures.

Aim

The aim of the course is equip future Civil and Structural Engineers with up-to-date knowledge on techniques and methods of analyses needed for the geotechnical design of infrastructure and buildings. The focus is on construction in a densely populated urban environment, where the lack of space and environmental effects are a major concern. The techniques and methods are applied in practice as part of a design project that deals with the construction of an underground structure in an urban setting.

Learning outcomes (after completion of the course the student should be able to)

● Knowledge
○ Describe the principles, benefits and limitations of various foundation and retaining wall types and in-situ instrumentation and monitoring concepts.
● Comprehension
○ Distinguish the difference and select between undrained and drained analysis in the context of ultimate and serviceability limit state design
○ understand the limitations of various analytical and numerical design methods for geotechnical structures.
○ understand the role of the soil and the structure in the analyses of soil-structure interaction in context of retaining walls and foundations.
● Application
○ calculate bearing capacity and settlements of shallow and deep foundations.
○ calculate earth pressures (at rest, active, passive) for drained (long-term) and undrained (short-term) conditions.
○ calculate stability of earth retaining structures.
● Analysis
○ analyse stress paths in the soil adjacent to foundation elements.
○ analyse strength in soils as a function of initial state and load path.
○ calculate stability and consolidation & creep settlements of foundations.
○ analyse soil-structure interaction problems.
● Synthesis:
○  dimension retaining walls and the response of shallow and deep foundations using theoretical knowledge and engineering judgement

○ Compare predicted and expected soil response, e.g. comparing results of advanced numerical methods against monitoring data or hand calculations.

Content

● Basic concepts
● Deep excavations
● Shallow foundations
● Deep foundations
● Tunnelling in soft soils  
● Geotechnical monitoring

Organisation

As a Master's level course, the course relies on an active participation by the students. Lectures are supported by project work (groups of 4 students) that integrates the various aspects of learning in a real geotechnical context.

Literature

Fleming, K. Weltman, A.  Randolph, A. &  Elson, A.,  (2008). Piling Engineering, 3rd edition, Taylor & Francis, ISBN 9780415266468 (e-book)
Kempfert, H-G. & Gebreselassie, (2006). Excavations and foundations in soft soils. Springer, (e-book)

Lecture slides and any additional material will be published on the course home page.

Complementary literature
ICE Manual of Geotechnical Engineering, Volume 2: Geotechnical design, construction and verification. ICE Publishing 2012. (e-book)
LimitStateGeo and Plaxis manuals

Examination including compulsory elements

Written examination of 4 hours for 4.5 ECTS and project work (3 ECTS).

The course examiner may assess individual students in other ways than what is stated above if there are special reasons for doing so, for example if a student has a decision from Chalmers on educational support due to disability.