Undergraduate - UnitCIV3248 - Groundwater and environmental geomechanics

This unit entry is for students who completed this unit in 2014 only. For students planning to study the unit, please refer to the unit indexes in the the current edition of the Handbook. If you have any queries contact the managing faculty for your course or area of study.

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6 points, SCA Band 2, 0.125 EFTSL

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered, or view unit timetables.

Level	Undergraduate
Faculty	Faculty of Engineering
Organisational Unit	Department of Civil Engineering
Offered	Clayton First semester 2014 (Day)
Coordinator(s)	Professor Malek Bouazza/Dr Valentijn Pauwels

Synopsis

Overview of concepts relating to groundwater resources and seepage, with emphasis on seepage containment in reservoirs, ponds, soil pollution and its avoidance, focusing on soil behaviour and its effect on seepage, groundwater percolation and migration of contaminant in the nearfield of waste containment facilities. Focus will also be on the function, design and construction of engineered soil barriers to prevent leakage from water reservoirs, ponds or to isolate different types of waste.

Outcomes

At the conclusion of the unit, students will be able to:

give an engineering classification of soils, and on this basis predict how it will perform as an engineering lining material for waste containment facilities
calculate quantities of water flowing through the ground, and understand the effects that water flow has on the soil.
identify the common situations when the soil becomes a factor in an engineering problem
explain the advantages and limitations of the different methods of seepage calculation
characterize contaminant migration through porous media
provide solutions to seepage problems based on the use of geosynthetics
use numerical and analytical procedures to analyse a geoenvironmental design problem

Assessment

Tests: 20%
Design assignment: 40%
Examination (2 hours): 40%.
Students are required to achieve at least 45% in the total continuous assessment component (assignments, tests, mid-semester exams, laboratory reports) and at least 45% in the final examination component and an overall mark of 50% to achieve a pass grade in the unit. Students failing to achieve this requirement will be given a maximum of 45% in the unit.

Chief examiner(s)

Professor Jeffrey Walker

Workload requirements

One 2 hour lecture, one 2 hour practice class and 8 hours private study per week.