Geotechnical engineers study soil and bedrock characteristics of building sites prior to construction. Using specialised equipment to extract earth cores to determine soil strength, composition and moisture content, they then provide information to structural engineers and architects to guide the design of roads, building foundations, dams, and bridges. Topics include site investigation, design and construction aspect of shallow foundations, settlement in soils, piled foundations, earth pressure calculations and earth retaining structure, slope stability analysis, instrumentation, ground improvement techniques, geotechnical aspects of pavements, excavation methods and supporting systems, embankment dams, landfills, and tunneling.
This topic aims to give students an understanding of the concepts associated with geotechnical engineering.
Timetable details for 2021 are no longer published.