ENCN454-18S2 (C) Semester Two 2018

Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering

15 points

Details:
Start Date: Monday, 16 July 2018
End Date: Sunday, 18 November 2018
Withdrawal Dates
Last Day to withdraw from this course:
  • Without financial penalty (full fee refund): Friday, 27 July 2018
  • Without academic penalty (including no fee refund): Friday, 12 October 2018

Description

Seismic behaviour of retaining walls, shallow and deep foundations, embankments, and slopes. Liquefaction. Case studies, design applications, and advanced methods of analysis.

ENCN454 is an introductory course in geotechnical earthquake engineering which provides essential background and methodologies for engineering assessment and design of structures in seismic regions. The focus of the course is on key concepts and their application to seismic evaluation of buildings and infrastructure. This includes, for example, evaluation of site response, retaining structures, foundations, and seismic stability of slopes. All topics are discussed through well-documented case histories using field observations on the performance of land, buildings and infrastructure obtained from recent strong earthquakes. The tutorials and computational labs are based on hands-on approach and use of computational tools that are commonly used in the earthquake engineering practice. They are directly related to the four assignments and provide supporting tools for the homework.

Learning Outcomes

At the conclusion of this course you should be able to:

- Classify and evaluate earthquake sources/loads, and associated geotechnical earthquake hazards.
- Explain key concepts in the seismic assessment of engineering structures.
- Interpret the behaviour of soils and geotechnical structures during earthquakes.
- Apply simplified design-oriented methods for liquefaction analysis, and seismic analysis and design of retaining walls, embankments, bridge and building foundations.
- Analyse the response of sites, earth structures and soil-structure systems under earthquake loads

University Graduate Attributes

This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attributes specified below:

Critically competent in a core academic discipline of their award

Students know and can critically evaluate and, where applicable, apply this knowledge to topics/issues within their majoring subject.

Prerequisites

Restrictions

ENCI620

Course Coordinator / Lecturer

Christopher McGann

Assessment

Assessment Due Date Percentage 
Assignments (x4) 40%
final exam 60%


1.   A minimum pass mark of 50% in the final exam is required in order to pass the course.

2.   All assignments must be submitted by the due date. Late submissions will not be accepted. If a student is unable to complete and submit an assignment by the deadline due to personal circumstances beyond their control they should discuss this with the lecturer involved as soon as possible.

3.    Aegrotat eligibility: Aegrotat provisions are intended to assist students who have
covered the work of a course but have been prevented by illness or other critical circumstance from demonstrating their mastery of the material or skills at the time of assessment” [UC Calendar].

4.    All assignments should be done individually.

Textbooks / Resources

Textbooks and course materials

Electronic files of course materials including lecture notes, assignments and course information will be made available through LEARN. Also handouts will be provided during lectures.

Indicative Fees

Domestic fee $1,059.00

International fee $5,125.00

* All fees are inclusive of NZ GST or any equivalent overseas tax, and do not include any programme level discount or additional course-related expenses.

Minimum enrolments

This course will not be offered if fewer than 15 people apply to enrol.

For further information see Civil and Natural Resources Engineering .

All ENCN454 Occurrences

  • ENCN454-18S2 (C) Semester Two 2018