COURSE INFORMATION

School/Faculty: Civil Engineering/Engineering Page: 1 of 5

Program name: Bachelor of Engineering (Civil)
Course code: SKAA 2722 Academic Session/Semester: 2017/18/1

Course name: Geotechnics 1 Pre/co requisite (course name Soil Mechanics, SKAA
and code, if applicable): 1713
Credit hours: 2

Course synopsis This course is one of the core courses, which provides solid background knowledge on the
properties and behaviour of soils for geotechnical engineering practice. Understanding of the
course will help the students in designing civil and geotechnical engineering structures. Topics for
the course are stresses in soils, compressibility and consolidation of soils, and slope stability. At
the end of the course, students should be able to analyse and apply the related theories of soil
behaviour, and to solve problems of stresses on retaining structures, consolidation settlement
and slope stability.
Course Assoc. Prof. Ir Dr Azman Kassim
coordinator (if
applicable)

Course lecturer(s) Name Office Contact no. E-mail

Assoc. Prof. Ir Dr Azman Kassim M50-281 Ext 38689 azmankassim@utm.
my
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nazri Ali F54-2-206 Ext 37839 nazriali@utm.my
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ahmad Safuan A Rashid M46-155 Ext 31505 ahmadsafuan@utm.
my
Dr Dayang Zulaika Abang Hasbollah M46-334 Ext 33957 dzulaika@utm.my

Prepared by: Certified by:

Name: Assoc. Prof. Dr Ahmad Safuan A Rashid Name: PROF DR. ROSLI HAININ

Signature: Signature:

Date: 16/8/2018 Date: 16/8/2018

UTM CIDU.CI.V2.2018
School/Faculty: Civil Engineering/Engineering Page: 2 of 5
Program name: Bachelor of Engineering (Civil)
Course code: SKAA 2722 Academic Session/Semester: 2017/18/1

Course name: Geotechnics 1 Pre/co requisite (course name Soil Mechanics,

and code, if applicable): SKAA 1713
Credit hours: 3

Mapping of the Course Learning Outcomes (CLO) to the Programme Learning Outcomes (PLO), Teaching & Learning
(T&L) methods and Assessment methods:
Weight (%) CPS, T&L Assessment
PLO
No. CLO T & G Skills1 CEA,KP method methods2
s
CLO1 PLO2 L1 WK1 Lecture, Asg
To state stresses in soils
and the relevant active
principles that are related learning
to settlement and slopes.
CL02 To apply relevant PLO2 L3, KP1 WK1 Project- T
principles and method(s) based
of analysis on pressure learning
distributions,
compressibility properties
in soil, and stability of 90
slope.

CL03 To analyse distribution of PLO2 L4, KP2, CP1, WP1,EA Lecture, T, F

vertical and lateral CA2 1,WK2 active
pressure, consolidation learning
magnitude and rate, and
slope stability analysis by
using relevant principle
and various methods of
analysis in soils.

CLO4 To resolve problem on PLO4 10 L4, KP2, CP1, EA1 Lecture, PR

stresses, settlement and CA2 active
slopes by integrating learning
principle and various
methods of analysis in
soils.

Refer *Taxonomies of Learning and **UTM’s Graduate Attributes, where applicable for measurement of outcomes
achievement
***T – Test; Q – Quiz; HW – Homework; Asg – Assignment; PR – Project; Pr – Presentation; F – Final Exam etc.
Details on Innovative T&L practices:
No. Type Implementation
1. Active learning Conducted through in-class activities
2. Project-based learning Conducted through design assignments.

UTM CIDU.CI.V2.2018
School/Faculty: Civil Engineering/Engineering Page: 3 of 5
Program name: Bachelor of Engineering (Civil)
Course code: SKAA 2722 Academic Session/Semester: 2017/18/1

Course name: Geotechnics 1 Pre/co requisite (course name Soil Mechanics,

and code, if applicable): SKAA 1713
Credit hours: 3

WEEKLY SCHEDULE

Week Topic / Content

INTRODUCTION – schedule and overview of SAB 2722 (Geotechnics I) and review of SAB 1713 (Soil
Mechanics) e.g. vertical stress, Terzaghi’s principle of effective stress, soil properties and shear
1 strength.

STRESSES IN SOILS – Vertical stresses due to applied load: Simple method (2:1 method); Boussinesq
Method - Point load, Line load, Uniform surcharge load.

2 Fadum Chart & Pressure Bulb Chart.

3 Lateral earth pressure at –rest, active and passive conditions. Rankine Method and Coulomb Method.

Lateral pressure diagram and location of resultant force against sheet pile & gravity retaining wall. Soil
4
pressures against & force in tie-back rod for anchored tie-back sheet piles.

5 COMPRESSIBILITY AND CONSOLIDATION – Introduction, Definition of ‘consolidation’ and ‘settlement’.

Curve of dial gauge reading versus time, and void ratio versus log effective stress curve (consolidation
or oedometer test).
Compressibility parameters of soils; Terzaghi’s Consolidation Theory – One-dimensional consolidation.
6
Test 1 – Stresses in Soils & Earth Retaining Walls.

7 Pre-consolidation pressure and definition of ‘normally consolidated soil’, ‘overconsolidated soil’, and
underconsolidated soil’. Components of total settlement= immediate (elastic) settlement +
consolidation settlement + secondary settlement (creep).

8 MID SEMESTER BREAK

Calculation of ultimate or consolidation settlement. Degree of consolidation (U) – relationship between

9
U and settlement (H), U and void ratio (e), and U and excess pore-water pressure (ue).

Average consolidation vs. Time Factor (Tv) Chart; and Isochrone (y/Hdp, Uy, Tv) Chart. Problem solving
10
exercises.

Test 2 – Compressibility & Consolidation.

11 SLOPE STABILITY – Infinite & Finite Slopes, Stability of infinite slope: dry slope, saturated slope and
partially-submerged slope (water table or seepage parallel to surface).

12 U=0 analysis and Taylor’s Chart. Methods of Slices: Fellenius and Simplified Bishop

13 Stability of natural slope, embankment, and excavation

14 Methods of slope stabilization. Problem-solving assignment for slope stability

15-18 REVISION WEEK AND FINAL EXAMINATION

UTM CIDU.CI.V2.2018
 School/Faculty: Civil Engineering/Engineering Page: 4 of 5
Program name: Bachelor of Engineering (Civil)
Course code: SKAA 2722 Academic Session/Semester: 2017/18/1

Course name: Geotechnics 1 Pre/co requisite (course name Soil Mechanics,

and code, if applicable): SKAA 1713
Credit hours: 3

Transferable skills (generic skills learned in course of study which can be useful and utilised in other settings):
Team working
Written communication

Student learning time (SLT) details:

Distribution Teaching and Learning Activities SLT
of Student Learning Guided Learning Guided Learning Independent Learning
Time (SLT) by CLO (Face to Face) Non-Face to Face Non-Face to face
L: Lecture, T: Tutorial, P:
Practical, O: Others
CLO L T P O
CO1 7 3.5 3h 2.5h 16h

CO2 7 3.5 3h 2.5h 16h

C03 7 3.5 3h 2.5h 16h

CO4 7 3.5 3h 2.5h 16h

28h 14h 12h 10h 64h

No. Continuous Assessment PLO (Code) Percentage SLT

1 Test 1 PLO2 (THI) 12.5 1h
2 Test 2 PLO2 (THI) 12.5 1h
3 Design Project 1 PLO4 (THDS) 25 12h
Final Assessment
1 Final Examination PLO2 (THI) 50 2h
PLO4 (THDS)
Total SLT 100 80h
h: hours

Special requirement to deliver the course (e.g: software, nursery, computer lab, simulation room):
N.A

Learning resources:
REFERENCES
1. Nurly Gofar and Khairul Anuar Kassim, INTRODUCTION TO GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING PART I, Pearson
Education, 2005.
2. Liu C. and J. Evett SOILS AND FOUNDATIONS SI ed. by Nurly Gofar, Pearson Education, 2004.
3. Craig, R.F CRAIG’S SOIL MECHANICS 7th ed. FN. Spons London, 2004.
4. Holtz, R. D. and Kovacs, W., INTRODUCTION TO GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING, Prentice Hall, 1981.

UTM CIDU.CI.V2.2018
School/Faculty: Civil Engineering/Engineering Page: 5 of 5
Program name: Bachelor of Engineering (Civil)
Course code: SKAA 2722 Academic Session/Semester: 2017/18/1

Course name: Geotechnics 1 Pre/co requisite (course name Soil Mechanics,

and code, if applicable): SKAA 1713
Credit hours: 3

Academic honesty and plagiarism: (Below is just a sample)

Assignments are individual tasks and NOT group activities (UNLESS EXPLICITLY INDICATED AS GROUP ACTIVITIES)
Copying of work (texts, simulation results etc.) from other students/groups or from other sources is not allowed. Brief
quotations are allowed and then only if indicated as such. Existing texts should be reformulated with your own words
used to explain what you have read. It is not acceptable to retype existing texts and just acknowledge the source as a
reference. Be warned: students who submit copied work will obtain a mark of zero for the assignment and disciplinary
steps may be taken by the Faculty. It is also unacceptable to do somebody else’s work, to lend your work to them or to
make your work available to them to copy.

Other additional information (Course policy, any specific instruction etc.):

-

Disclaimer:
All teaching and learning materials associated with this course are for personal use only. The materials are intended for
educational purposes only. Reproduction of the materials in any form for any purposes other than what it is intended
for is prohibited.
While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information supplied herein, Universiti Teknologi
Malaysia cannot be held responsible for any errors or omissions.

UTM CIDU.CI.V2.2018