Units

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Sample subject outline - Semester 1 2013

Note: Subject outlines often change before the semester begins. Below is a sample outline.

Rationale

Geomechanics (soil mechanics & rock mechanics) and their application to geotechnical engineering is one of the most important areas of study for civil engineers. It is concerned with the use of soil and/or rock as an engineering material and includes a wide range of activities such as: site investigation and design for building, bridge and other foundations; materials selection, design and construction control for dams, road pavements and embankments; landslide stabilisation and tunnel excavation and support.

Following on from the work done in Geotechnical Engineering 1 and Geotechnical Engineering 2, this elective unit offers more in depth understanding of pavement engineering and retaining structures. This unit assumes that you have completed basic undergraduate studies in transportation/highway and geotechnical engineering. It places particular emphasis on the design and maintenance of various pavements and retaining structures. You will examine the concepts and principles of pavement design and retaining structures, including an analysis of alternatives and learn how to develop practical solutions.

Aims

The aim of this unit is to enable you to understand how pavements and retaining structures can be designed and constructed using various materials. The behaviour of pavements and retaining structures under load will be studied to predict their performance.

Objectives

Technical:
Upon successful completion of this unit you will be able to demonstrate that you are developing the following capabilities to an appropriate standard:
1. sound theoretical and practical knowledge across the following pavement design topics: flexible pavement, concrete pavement, light and heavy duty pavement, and interlocking pavement;
2. solid understanding of pavement materials, testing methods and their applications.
3. sound theoretical and practical knowledge across the following retaining structures: reinforced concrete cantilever retaining walls, gravity retaining walls and reinforced soil retaining walls;
4. solid understanding of materials used in the construction of retaining structures.

Content

Retaining structures
¿ Design and construction of earth retaining structures
¿ Stabilising soil and rock slopes
¿ Segmental Concrete Gravity Retaining Walls - Design and Construction Guide
¿ Segmental Concrete Reinforced Soil Retaining Walls - Design and Construction Guide
¿ Materials used in retaining structures

Pavement rehabilitation, design and performance
¿ Introduction to Pavement Engineering, Performance and Testing
¿ Pavement Investigation Techniques - Case Studies
¿ Use of Deflection for overlay Design, Granular Overlay Design and an Asphalt Overlay Design
¿ Introduction to General Mechanistic Design Process and back analysis for pavement characterisation

¿ Pavement Rehabilitation Design - Case Studies and Options
¿ Importance of Drainage to pavement performance - Case Studies
¿ Pavement Failure Criteria
¿ Introduction to CIRCLY - Design Exercise - Demonstration in Class
¿ Improvements to Pavement performance through stabilisation
¿ Development in insitu stabilisation - Cement, Lime and Foam Bitumen Case Studies
¿ Mix Design and Development of mechanistic design procedures for foam bitumen stabilisation
¿ Improvements to Asphalt Performance and evaluation of Binders, binder tests and specific aggregate properties, asphalt mix and thickness design
¿ Improvement to Concrete Performance, types of concrete pavements
¿ Structural design procedures and Failures in Concrete Pavements
¿ Rehabilitation of Concrete pavements
¿ Improvements to Granular performance - Case Studies
¿ Concept of the degree of saturation
¿ Repeated Load Triaxial test and its relevance to performance

¿ Sub-grade testing and assessment, improvement to sub-grade performance - Case Studies
¿ Pavements on expansive soil subgrade - Case Studies
¿ Performance of low cost, low volume roads
¿ Role of Proprietary products for low volume roads
¿ Dust Suppressants for unsealed roads - Case Studies
¿ Innovations in Pavement Investigations, Ground Penetration Radar, Granular Wheel Tracking project

Approaches to Teaching and Learning

Teaching Mode:
3 hours per week:
Lecture: 2 hours per week
Tutorial: 1 hour per week

Learning Approaches:
Learning approaches will cover problem based learning, self learning, individual learning, experiential learning and reflective learning.

Assessment

MOPP Statement
Assessment will be based on mid semester design assignment (40%) and a final multiple choice and short answer exam 60%.The assessment for this unit follows the assessment policy outlined in the assessment policy (MOPP C/5.1). Feedback will be provided consistently during tutorials and two (2) weeks following submission of mid semester log/workbooks.

Assessment name: Design Assignment
Description: An exercise to solve problems of limited scope using appropriate rules or techniques. Assessment due 5.00pm Friday Week 9
Relates to objectives: 1,2
Weight: 40%
Internal or external: Internal
Group or individual: Individual
Due date: Week 9.

Assessment name: Short Analytical Answer Exam
Description: Questions which require students to solve problems of limited scope using appropriate rules or techniques.
Relates to objectives: 1,2,3,4
Weight: 60%
Internal or external: Internal
Group or individual: Individual
Due date: Examination period.

Academic Honesty

QUT is committed to maintaining high academic standards to protect the value of its qualifications. To assist you in assuring the academic integrity of your assessment you are encouraged to make use of the support materials and services available to help you consider and check your assessment items. Important information about the university's approach to academic integrity of assessment is on your unit Blackboard site.

A breach of academic integrity is regarded as Student Misconduct and can lead to the imposition of penalties.

Resource materials

Resource materials will be progressively placed in Blackboard.

Risk assessment statement

You will undertake lectures and tutorials in traditional classrooms and lecture theatres. As such, there are no extraordinary workplace health and safety issues associated with these components of the unit.

Additional Costs
You may incur incidental costs in printing lecture notes and web based manuals and using electronic media for information storage.

Disclaimer - Offer of some units is subject to viability, and information in these Unit Outlines is subject to change prior to commencement of semester.

Last modified: 24-Oct-2012