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Study information

Soil Mechanics with Mine Tailings Engineering - 2019 entry

MODULE TITLESoil Mechanics with Mine Tailings Engineering CREDIT VALUE15
MODULE CODECSM3444 MODULE CONVENERUnknown
DURATION: TERM 1 2 3
DURATION: WEEKS 0 11 0
Number of Students Taking Module (anticipated) 15
DESCRIPTION - summary of the module content

The course is designed for undergraduate students in various branches of engineering that are concerned with the engineering and hydrologic behaviour of earth systems, including geohazards, geotechnical engineering, geological engineering, environmental engineering and mining engineering. The module focuses on tailings dams and embankment dams and includes laboratory analysis to determine the key failure mechanisms of fine-grained material such as mine tailings.

This module will introduce you to the analyses often used in the design of embankment gravity, embedded and reinforced soil retaining walls, simple shallow and pile foundations, the assessment of slope stability and slope stabilisation schemes. It will build on the basic concepts of soil mechanics, and provide a basis for geotechnical design of embankment walls used widely in the mining industry.

Prerequisite module:  None

AIMS - intentions of the module
To introduce you to the form of and typical methods of construction for geotechnical structures.
To provide you with the skills to investigate quantitatively the stability of unreinforced and piled slopes; gravity, embedded and reinforced soil retaining walls; and simple foundations.
To understand the importance of pore water pressures, and assess the impact of changes in pore water pressure on the stability of geotechnical structures.
To apply suitable factors to limit state calculations to meet the demands of real life situations.
 
INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES (ILOs) (see assessment section below for how ILOs will be assessed)

On successful completion of this module, you should be able to:


Module Specific Skills and Knowledge:
 

Having successfully completed this module, you will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:

1. Geotechnical structures and how they are constructed.

2. The difference between total and effective stress analysis & The importance of pore water pressure.

3. The theoretical scientific basis of traditional limit-based design calculations

4. Use engineering IT tools to aid in the analysis and design of embedded retaining structures.
 

Discipline Specific Skills and Knowledge:
 

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

5.Calculate lateral and shear stresses on retaining walls and foundations.

6. Apply factors of safety and standard empirical modifications to the basic limit-state calculations to meet the demands of real situations.

7. Investigate quantitatively the stability of unreinforced and piled slopes; gravity, embedded and reinforced soil retaining walls; and simple foundations using total or effective stress analysis as appropriate.
 

Personal and Key Transferable/ Employment Skills and Knowledge:

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

8. Time management

9. Engineering approach to solution of problems

10. Effective communication through written reports

11. Creativity and innovation in problem solving

SYLLABUS PLAN - summary of the structure and academic content of the module

 

 

Content Title

Hours

1

SOIL MECHANICS             

3

2

SOIL BEHAVIOUR

3

3

SOIL DYNAMICS

3

4

THE IMPACT OF LANDSLIDE ON ENVIRONMENT AND SOCIO-ECONOMY and RECLAMATION OF TAILINGS SITES.

3

5

HILLSLOPE HYDROLOGY AND SLOPE STABILITY

6

6

EARTH RETAINING STRUCTURES / SUPPORT OF EXCAVATIONS

12

 

1. ADVANCED SOIL MECHANICS.

Advanced soil mechanics theories and concepts as applied to analysis and design in geotechnical engineering. Topics covered will include seepage, consolidation, shear strength, failure criteria and constitutive models for soil. The course will have an emphasis on numerical solution techniques to geotechnical problems by finite elements and finite differences.

 

2. SOIL BEHAVIOR.

The focus of this course is on interrelationships among the composition, fabric, and geotechnical and hydrologic properties of soils that comprise fine grains. The content will be divided into two parts.

The first part provides an introduction to the composition and fabric of natural soils and mine tailings and the factors that govern soil behaviour.

The second part examines what is known about how these fundamental characteristics and factors affect geotechnical properties, including the hydrologic properties that influence volume change, shear deformation, and shear strength.

 

3. SOIL DYNAMICS.

Dynamic phenomena in geotechnical engineering, e.g., earthquakes, pile and foundation vibrations, construction vibrations; behaviour of soils under dynamic loading, e.g., small, medium and large strain behaviour, soil liquefaction; wave propagation through soil and rock; laboratory and field techniques to assess dynamic soil properties; analysis and design of shallow and deep foundations subjected to dynamic loading; analysis of construction vibrations.

 

4. HILLSLOPE HYDROLOGY AND STABILITY.

Introduction of shallow landslide occurrence. Roles of unsaturated flow and stress in shallow landslides. Slope stability analysis based on unsaturated effective stress conceptualization. The analysis includes:

·         Computer modelling of unsaturated flow and stress distributions in hillslope.

·         Prediction of precipitation induced shallow landslides.

·         Slope stability analysis

·         Slip circle analysis in terms of both total and effective stresses

·         Hazard and risk in relation to slopes  

 

5. EARTH RETAINING STRUCTURES / SUPPORT OF EXCAVATIONS.

Analysis, design, construction and monitoring of earth retaining structures and support of excavations used for permanent and temporary support of transportation facilities, bridges, underground structures and tunnels, shafts, waterfront structures, earth slopes and embankments. Includes gravity, semi-gravity, cantilevered, anchored, geosynthetic and ground improvement walls.

 

Analysis includes

Gravity retaining walls and embankment walls such as earthdams

• limit equilibrium calculations to determine active and passive forces by analysing the static equilibrium of an assumed sliding wedge failure mechanism

• assessment of wall stability against sliding, overturning and base bearing failure

• short and long term conditions (total and effective stress analyses)

• application of factors of safety for use in design.

 

Reinforced soil walls:

• limit equilibrium calculations to determine reinforcement length and spacing

• assessment of reinforced wall stability.

 

 Embedded cantilever walls:

• pore pressure distributions

• equilibrium analysis based on limiting (active and passive) lateral stresses

• short and long term calculations (total and effective stress analyses)

• calculation of propping forces

• application of factors of safety for use in design

• construction techniques for embedded walls.

 

Shallow foundations:

• revision of bearing capacity

• effects of foundation shape and depth

• shallow foundations subjected to combined vertical, horizontal and moment loading

• short and long term calculations (total and effective stress analyses)

• application of factors of safety for use in design.

LEARNING AND TEACHING
LEARNING ACTIVITIES AND TEACHING METHODS (given in hours of study time)
Scheduled Learning & Teaching Activities 40 Guided Independent Study 60 Placement / Study Abroad 0
DETAILS OF LEARNING ACTIVITIES AND TEACHING METHODS

Category

Hours of study time

Description

Scheduled learning and teaching activities

33

Lectures

Scheduled learning and teaching activities

6

Laboratory Practical

Guided independent study

114

Private study

 

ASSESSMENT
FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT - for feedback and development purposes; does not count towards module grade

Form of Assessment

Size of Assessment (e.g. duration/length)

ILOs Assessed

Feedback Method

Not applicable

Not applicable

Not applicable

Not applicable

 

SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT (% of credit)
Coursework 40 Written Exams 60 Practical Exams 0
DETAILS OF SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT

Form of Assessment

% of Credit

Size of Assessment (e.g. duration/length)

ILOs Assessed

Feedback Method

Examination

60

1.5 hours

1-11

Verbal

Foundation Laboratory Practical

20

8 hours

(1-3) (5-12)

Written

Tailings Embankment Laboratory Practical

20

8 hours

(1-5) (9-11)

Written

 

DETAILS OF RE-ASSESSMENT (where required by referral or deferral)

Original Form of Assessment

Form of Re-assessment

ILOs Re-assessed

Time Scale for Re-reassessment

Summative assessment

Additional assessment

As above

August Ref/Def period

Examination

Additional examination

As above

August Ref/Def period

 

RE-ASSESSMENT NOTES

As above 2 pieces of CW 40% and/or 1 Exam 60%

RESOURCES
INDICATIVE LEARNING RESOURCES - The following list is offered as an indication of the type & level of
information that you are expected to consult. Further guidance will be provided by the Module Convener

ELE – http://vle.exeter.ac.uk/

Reading list for this module:

Type Author Title Edition Publisher Year ISBN
Set Powrie, W Soil Mechanics: Concepts and Applications 2014
Set Powrie, W Solutions Manual for Soil Mechanics: Concepts and Applications 2014
Set Craig, R. F. Soil Mechanics 6th E & FN Spon 1997
CREDIT VALUE 15 ECTS VALUE 7.5
PRE-REQUISITE MODULES None
CO-REQUISITE MODULES None
NQF LEVEL (FHEQ) 6 AVAILABLE AS DISTANCE LEARNING No
ORIGIN DATE Tuesday 6th August 2019 LAST REVISION DATE Tuesday 17th September 2019
KEY WORDS SEARCH Soil Mechanics, Mine Tailings, Embankment and Foundation Design, Geotechnical Engineering

Please note that all modules are subject to change, please get in touch if you have any questions about this module.