Unit Guide

General Information

Unit convenor and teaching staff	Unit convenor and teaching staff Lecturer Steven Hansen steven.hansen@mq.edu.au 12 Wally's Walk, Office 107 Wed 4pm-5pm (or by appointment)
Credit points	Credit points 10
Prerequisites	Prerequisites CIVL1001
Corequisites	Corequisites
Co-badged status	Co-badged status
Unit description	Unit description This unit provides students with an introduction to engineering geology and soil mechanics. The unit presents and discusses specialised knowledge of soil mechanics that helps students undertake a variety of soil mechanics analyses through lectures and laboratory testing. The first section on engineering geology will include an introduction to geology (minerals, rock types, rock structures), geological maps, rock evaluation and geophysical methods, and geohazards and adverse geological conditions case studies relevant to engineering applications. The second section on soil mechanics includes composition and particle sizes of the soil, physical soil states and soil classification, flow of water through soils, stresses, strains, and elastic deformation of soils, soil compaction, and soil settlement. The main aim of this unit is to prepare students to develop fundamental knowledge required for more advanced units such as Geotechnical Engineering and Transport Engineering.

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

ULO1: Demonstrate a fundamental knowledge of solid Earth materials and their formation
ULO3: Describe and classify various soils using standard laboratory techniques and relate these physical characteristics to their engineering behaviour
ULO2: Identify different geohazards and describe their potential effect on construction projects
ULO4: Describe the behaviour and effects of both static and flowing water in soil masses
ULO5: Assess the role of effective stress in soil mechanics and describe the strength of soils based on basic failure theory

General Assessment Information

Assessment at Macquarie University is standards-based, as outlined in the Assessment Policy. This means that your work will be assessed against clear criteria, and these criteria (e.g. in a rubric) will be made available when the assessment tasks are released to you on iLearn.

In order to pass this unit a student must obtain a mark of 50 or more for the unit (i.e. obtain a passing grade P/ CR/ D/ HD). For further details about grading, please refer below in the policies and procedures section.

Hurdle Requirements

In this unit practical participation is a hurdle requirement. You must attend and participate in all the practical classes which occur in the Soil Mechanics lab (weeks 4 through 12).

A hurdle requirement is an activity for which a minimum level of performance or participation is a condition of passing the unit (see the Assessment Policy). Failure to meet the hurdle requirement will result in failure of the unit.

Submission of Assessments

All assessments must be submitted online through links available in iLearn unless otherwise indicated. Written lab reports for each team will be submitted via Turnitin.

You should always check that you have uploaded the correct file. If you have a problem, please email the Unit Convenor with your correct file. You must also keep a copy of your assessments until the end of semester in case there is a problem with your submission. It is your responsibility to ensure that you can provide a copy of your assessment if requested.

Marking of Assessments

Assignments will usually be marked through Turnitin with grades provided through Gradebook on iLearn. Please do not submit your assessments via email or in hard copy unless requested.

One lab report will be submitted for each team for each laboratory exercise. Each individual is responsible for writing a section of the report and will receive a mark on their contribution, as well as a portion of the total report mark. Each team member is responsible for ensuring that the report is finished on time and to the standard.

We aim to return your assessment grades and feedback within two weeks of the date that you submitted it. We appreciate your patience and will advise you through iLearn or in lecture when your marked assessments and feedback are available for viewing.

Penalties for Late Assessments

Online quizzes, in-class activities, or scheduled tests and exam must be undertaken at the time indicated in the unit guide. Should these activities be missed due to illness or misadventure, students may apply for Special Consideration.

All other assessments must be submitted by 5:00 pm on their due date.

Should these assessments be missed due to illness or misadventure, students should apply for Special Consideration.

Assessments not submitted by the due date will receive a mark in accordance with the late submission policy as follows:

A 12-hour grace period will be given after which the following deductions will be applied to the awarded assessment mark: 12 to 24 hours late = 10% deduction; for each day thereafter, an additional 10% per day or part thereof will be applied until five days beyond the due date. After this time, a mark of zero (0) will be given. For example, an assessment worth 20% is due 5 pm on 1 January. Student A submits the assessment at 1 pm, 3 January. The assessment received a mark of 15/20. A 20% deduction is then applied to the mark of 15, resulting in the loss of three (3) marks. Student A is then awarded a final mark of 12/20.

Extensions for Assessments

To obtain an extension for an assessment task, you will need to follow the formal process as outlined in the Special Consideration Policy, and you must provide appropriate supporting evidence (e.g. medical certificate - see advice for Special Consideration requests). The final decision regarding the granting of an extension lies with the unit convenor. Permission for extensions must be sought before the due date unless there are exceptional circumstances. Please let us know of problems in advance or as soon as possible, not after the event. We are likely to be much more sympathetic and able to accommodate your circumstance if you follow this advice.

Exams

This unit has two exams, a final and a mid-term. These examinations are based on lectures, reading material, practicals and tutorial exercises. This is information you should have absorbed through completing assignments and any other material presented during classes.

The mid-term exam will be conducted during the tutorial slots in week 7. The final will occur during the normal exam period following week 13 and will be scheduled by the university. students are required to be present for both exams.

For unavoidable disruptions during exams, you should apply for Special Consideration as soon as possible. You will only be allowed one opportunity to sit the Supplementary Exam as outlined in the Special Consideration Policy

If you receive special consideration for the final exam, a supplementary exam will be scheduled by the faculty during a supplementary exam period, typically about 3 to 4 weeks after the normal exam period. By making a special consideration application for the final exam you are declaring yourself available for a resit during the supplementary examination period and will not be eligible for a second special consideration approval based on pre-existing commitments. Please ensure you are familiar with the policy prior to submitting an application. Approved applicants will receive an individual notification one week prior to the exam with the exact date and time of their supplementary examination.

Assessment Tasks

Name	Weighting	Hurdle	Due
Mid-session test	20%	No	Week 7
Practical Report	40%	No	Weekly
problem sets/quiz	10%	No	Weekly
Lab participation	0%	Yes	On-going
Final Examination	30%	No	TBD