Description:

Basic design methods for shallow footings, piles, retaining structures, foundation pits, sheet pile walls, anchors and soil improvement. Principles of monitoring in foundation engineering. Use of Eurocode 7. Selected case histories.

Contents:

1. Types of foundation pits, analysis and design considerations
2. Types of shallow footings, ultimate limit states and overall stability
3. Serviceability limit state design, immediate and delayed settlement
4. Shallow footings - stress distribution for ultimate and serviceability limit states
5. Types of piles, methods of installation 6. Design methods and design considerations, pile load tests
7. Pile subjected to tension and transversal load, settlement of pile group
8. Dewatering of foundation pits
9. Types of retaining structures, analysis and design considerations
10. Sheet pile walls - cantilever, free-end method, fixed-end method
11. Analysis and design of anchors and stability assessment
12. Methods of soil improvement
13. Site monitoring in foundation engineering
14. Eurocode 7: Principles for geotechnical design

Seminar contents:

1. Foundation pit - design and rate of inflow estimation
2. Design of rider bracing with struts
3. Sheet pile wall design - cantilever wall
4. Sheet pile wall design - wall with tieback anchor
5. Design of spread footing subjected to off-centre inclined load
6. Spread footing on non-homogeneous ground
7. Pile footing off-centre loaded on soft ground
8. Large diameter pile - Load-settlement relationship - vertical load
9. Gravity retaining wall design
10. Gravity retaining wall in inclined area, foundation pit design and stability check: pit + wall
11. Gabion wall design
12. Excavation in shale supported by nails / anchors

Recommended literature:

!Craig, R.F.: Soil Mechanics. Seventh edition 2004. 11 New Fetter Lane, London EC4P 4EE, Simultaneously published in the USA and Canada by Spon Press, 29 West 35th Street, New York, NY 10001. ISBN 0-415-32703-2 (pbk), ISBN 0-203-57441-9 (Adobe eReader Format)
?Tomlinson, M., Woodward, J.: Pile Design and Construction Practice, 6th Edition 2014, CRC Press, ISBN 9781466592636
?BS EN 1997-1:2004+A1:2013 - Eurocode 7. Geotechnical design. General rules

Keywords:

soil mechanics, soil testing, earth pressure, slope stability, geotechnical monitoring

Abbreviations used:

Semester:

• W ... winter semester (usually October - February)
• S ... spring semester (usually March - June)
• W,S ... both semesters

Mode of completion of the course:

• A ... Assessment (no grade is given to this course but credits are awarded. You will receive only P (Passed) of F (Failed) and number of credits)
• GA ... Graded Assessment (a grade is awarded for this course)
• EX ... Examination (a grade is awarded for this course)
• A, EX ... Examination (the award of Assessment is a precondition for taking the Examination in the given subject, a grade is awarded for this course)

Weekly load (hours per week):

• P ... lecture
• C ... seminar
• L ... laboratory
• R ... proseminar
• S ... seminar