Units / CIV3247
CIV3247 · Geomechanics 2
2026 Handbook6 credit pointsLevel 3Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Last checked: 23 Aug 2026 UTCOverview
This unit covers all aspects of geomechanics at intermediate levels, including consolidation theory of soils, estimation of consolidation and creep settlements for different types of soils, compaction of soils, advanced topics on shear strength of soils under various drainage conditions, stress-paths and laboratory triaxial tests, determination of drained and undrained shear strength parameters, critical state mechanics and various failure criteria, soil slope analysis, earth pressure theory and design of retaining walls.
Areas of study: E3001 Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) - Specialisation: Civil engineering
Offerings
| Campus | Teaching period | Mode |
|---|---|---|
| Clayton | Second semester | Teaching activities are on-campus (ON-CAMPUS) |
| Malaysia | Second semester | Teaching activities are on-campus (ON-CAMPUS) |
Assessment
The Handbook lists an examination for this unit.
| # | Assessment | Type | Weight | Hurdle |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Assignment 1 | Written | 25% | Threshold |
| 2 | Assignment 2 | Written | 15% | Threshold |
| 3 | Final assessment | Examination | 60% | Threshold |
Continuous assessment: 40% Final assessment: 60% This unit contains hurdle requirements that you must achieve to be able to pass the unit. You are required to achieve at least 45% in the total continuous assessment component and at least 45% in the final assessment component. The consequence of not achieving a hurdle requirement is a fail grade (NH) and a maximum mark of 45 for the unit.
Assessment details may change. Please refer to the assessment information in Moodle closer to the start of the teaching period.
Requisites
corequisite
- ENG2005 — Advanced engineering mathematics
Learning outcomes
- Determine soil consolidation time and associated settlements.
- Describe the concept of soil compaction and evaluate laboratory and field compaction results.
- Discern shear strength of soils.
- Analyse advanced soil strength testing and stress path results.
- Apply various soil models to analyse soil behaviour.
- Analyse stability of soil slopes.
- Apply earth pressure theories to design basic retaining walls.
Workload
The minimum total expected workload to achieve the learning outcomes for this unit is 144 hours per semester typically comprising a mixture of 3-6 hours of scheduled learning activities and 6-9 hours of independent study per week. Scheduled activities may include a combination of teacher-directed learning, peer-directed learning and online engagement. Independent study may include associated readings, assessment and preparation for scheduled activities.
| Activity | Duration |
|---|---|
| Practical activities | 24 hours |
| Workshops | 24 hours |
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