01. Identify and classify various types of soils and describe their physical and mechanical characteristics in accordance with Australian Standards.

Activities:

Students are introduced to these in lectures and reinforced and practiced in the tutorials and laboratory classes. Students are required to demonstrate in the assessment and exam questions the correct use of terminology, be able to describe and classify soils, research the literature and estimate the soil behaviour in-service and identify potential problems associated with their use.

02. Explain the multiphase nature of soils and compute quantities relating to the volumes and masses of the different phases of a soil.

Activities:

Phase diagram and volume and mass relationships specific for geotechnical problems are discussed are discussed in lectures and tutorials. Students are required to describe and correlate the soil structure to their physical properties and demonstrate competency in completing assignments and examination questions.

03. Measure soil permeability and solve seepage related problems of hydraulic and geotechnical structures.

Activities:

Students will learn about permeability of soils and its measurement during lectures and will apply this knowledge in tutorial and practical sessions to solve seepage associate problems of hydraulic and geotechnical structures. Students are required to demonstrate competency in completing assignments and examination questions.

04. Apply the effective stress concept to solve elementary geotechnical problems.

Activities:

This fundamental concept and its application to geotechnical problems is introduced in lectures. Reinforcement and further exploration of these occurs in tutorials with practice problems. In the numerical assignment and exam students must demonstrate competency in completing set assignments and examination questions.

05. Select appropriate methods of improving soil properties in accordance to Australian Standards.

Activities:

Soil improvement techniques applied in practice are taught in lectures and students undertake individual research of prescribed literature. Reinforcement of this teaching is done through laboratory sessions and discussion in tutorials. Students are required to demonstrate competency in completing set problems and examination questions.

06. Accurately perform, report and analyse a series of tests on soils to present a coherent report to professional standards.

Activities:

Students are required to attend and perform laboratory work and demonstrate competency in collecting and analysing the test data, research the prescribed literature, report writing and solving practice problems. The proper acknowledgement of individual contribution to the group work forms a part of marking criteria for report writing.