CIV3248 · Groundwater and environmental geomechanics

Overview

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.

Offerings

The Handbook publishes no offerings for this unit.

Assessment

The Handbook lists an examination for this unit.

Continuous assessment: 50% Final assessment: 50% This unit contains threshold 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

Learning outcomes

1. Give an engineering classification of soils, and on this basis predict how it will perform as an engineering lining material for waste containment facilities.
2. Calculate quantities of water flowing through the ground, and understand the effects that water flow has on the soil.
3. Identify the common situations when the soil becomes a factor in an engineering problem.
4. Explain the advantages and limitations of the different methods of seepage calculation.
5. Characterise contaminant migration through porous media.
6. Provide solutions to seepage problems based on the use of geosynthetics.
7. Use numerical and analytical procedures to analyse a geoenvironmental design problem.

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.

Student experience, not official rules. Nothing here changes what the Handbook says.