The University of Texas of Austin CE360K Foundation Engineering
CE 360K Foundation Engineering FALL 2016 Instructor: Dr. Ellen M. Rathje ECJ 9.227C 232-3683 [email protected] Office Hours: M 2-3, F 11-12, or by appointment
Teaching Assistant: To be announced
Lectures: MWF 1:00 - 2:00 ECJ B.226
Laboratory: F 2:00-4:00 pm ECJ B.226
Prerequisites: CE357 Geotechnical Engineering. The basic principles of soil mechanics introduced in CE 357 will be used extensively in this course.
Textbooks: Coduto, D.P., Kitch, W.A., and Yeung, M.R. (2015) Foundation Engineering: Principles and Practices, 3rd Edition, Prentice Hall.
Assignments: Homework assignments will be assigned each week. Student may work in small groups but each student must hand in his or her own work.
Design Project: A major component of this course will be a design project prepared by teams of students. Groups will be comprised of 4 to 5 students and assigned by the instructor. The design project will be based on a real project in Austin and will consist of three phases: Phase 1 – Proposal for Foundation Engineering Services. (Report and Presentation) Phase 2 – Progress Report on Foundation System Design. (Report only) Phase 3 – Final Design Recommendations for Foundation System. (Report and Presentation) The Phase 1 presentations will be given during the laboratory section on Friday, September 30. The Phase 3 presentations will be given during the final exam time, Friday, December 9, 9:00-12:00. Further information regarding the design project will be discussed in the laboratory section.
Exams: Two exams will be given during the semester. The first will take place during the laboratory session on Friday, October 14 and on this day there will be no lecture. The second exam will occur on Friday, December 2 during the final laboratory session. One page of handwritten notes on 8.5” x 11” paper will be allowed in exams.
The University of Texas of Austin CE360K Foundation Engineering
Grading: Assignments 15% Midterm 25% Final Exam 25% Design Project 35%
The plus/minus grading scale will be used.
Additional Requirements: A minimum exam average of 50% to pass the course
Course Evaluations An evaluation of the course and instructor will be conducted at the end of the semester using the approved UT Course/Instructor evaluation forms.
COURSE OBJECTIVES The focus of this class will be on the design of foundations for buildings and other structures (e.g., bridges, retaining walls). Foundation design makes use of the principles of soil mechanics; it also requires knowledge of geology and involves many considerations that might be called “practical,” such as the availability of suitable construction equipment and personnel. We will spend a significant part of our time on mechanistic types of problems, but we will also spend time discussing practical types of problems that do not lend themselves to homework problems, exams, and grading but are important problems in engineering practice.
While you will not become an expert foundation engineer by taking this one course, you will acquire the technical background necessary to develop professional experience in this field. A student completing this course will understand how to:
1. Specify appropriate geotechnical site and laboratory investigations as required to prepare a foundation design. 2. Identify, interpret, and approximate relevant soil properties for designing and analyzing foundations. 3. Predict the performance of shallow and deep foundations. 4. Design shallow and deep foundations to support a variety of structures and loads. 5. Prepare an engineering proposal and design report, and present both in a professional manner.
At the end of this course, you will also appreciate how challenging it is to be a foundation engineer.
The University of Texas of Austin CE360K Foundation Engineering
DESIGN SYNTHESIS Each student is required to take at least one design synthesis (Level II) course. CE 360K is designated as the geotechnical engineering design synthesis course. In a design synthesis course, we want for students to achieve the following skills:
1. Be able to design foundations that are technically feasible and economically viable. 2. Be able to synthesize engineering analyses into a sound design solution. 3. Be able to serve as a constructive, cooperative and productive member of a multi- disciplinary project team. 4. Be able to articulate and justify technical analyses through oral, written and graphical means. 5. Be familiar with professional and ethical codes of conduct for civil engineers. 6. Appreciate the constantly evolving nature of civil engineering design and practice.
A few words of explanation are needed regarding design in geotechnical engineering. Most of the students who are interested in foundation engineering are also interested in structural design. Structural designers generally have well developed codes to follow. No comparable codes exist in the United States in geotechnical engineering. In structural engineering, the properties of the materials are reasonably well defined because they are a manufactured product. In geotechnical engineering our major challenge is often defining the properties of the soil materials at a site. Structural members are of comparatively simple shapes. Soil strata are often discontinuous and the success of a design may hinge on whether or not your soil exploration program has discovered the presence of the critical stratum. In the range of stresses typically used, structural materials are subject to small strains, and may often be taken as linear elastic. Soils are often stressed to large strains and almost always behave in an inelastic manner.
As a result of these conditions, students should realize that the term "design" carries with it a different connotation in geotechnical engineering than in some other branches of civil engineering. Even if you choose not to engage in the practice of geotechnical engineering, there is a good chance that you will work with geotechnical engineers or read their reports in your work. Therefore, an understanding of how geotechnical engineers work and think can be very beneficial.
INDEPENDENT INQUIRY FLAG This course carries the Independent Inquiry flag. Independent Inquiry courses are designed to engage you in the process of inquiry over the course of a semester, providing you with the opportunity for independent investigation of a question, problem, or project related to your major. You should therefore expect a substantial portion of your grade to come from the independent investigation and presentation of your own work. This goal is accomplished through the design project in this course.
HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENTS In addition to the design project, homework problems will be assigned about every week. Digital copies of the assignments will be placed on Canvas.
You may and are encouraged to work on the class assignments in small groups. You are free to form your own homework groups as you desire during the semester. Working together on assignments should foster your understanding of the course material; avoid working with other The University of Texas of Austin CE360K Foundation Engineering students unless all parties gain from the experience. If you do work with others, you each need to submit a solution with your name and the names of the others in your group on the cover memorandum.
The primary purpose of the assignments is to help you clarify and practice the lecture material, with the additional goal of developing your engineering skills. As much as possible, your assignments will reflect real-world engineering practice where one must work with limited data, deal with uncertainty in site conditions, and generate appropriate foundation recommendations. I hope you will find that several of the homework problems are difficult and thought provoking. At the same time, by encouraging you to work on these problems in small groups, I expect to see a higher level of effort and performance in your homework submissions.
Each assignment must be submitted with a cover memorandum. As you will quickly learn after college, practicing engineers spend more time and effort communicating their ideas, analyses, and results than they do performing technical calculations. A professional engineer's work entails much more than analysis. Hence, all assignments in this class must be submitted with a cover memorandum that briefly discusses your analysis, results and recommendations. The cover memo should be typed, addressed to the instructor, and no more than one page long. The text of your memo should: Briefly state the purpose of your work (remind the reader of what was requested and what you did). Describe the data, material properties, and other information used to solve the problem, including any assumptions you may have used. Review important aspects of the problem and your solution. Refer to any attached drawings, plots, and other figures, and identify the significant information they contain. Summarize important results, conclusions, and recommendations.
Attach your calculations, plots, and drawings behind the cover memo. Write your cover memo as if you were submitting your results to a professional client. An example memo is attached.
Engineering computation paper is required for your analytical work - pages torn from a spiral notebook are not acceptable. Data plots and other figures may be drawn with a computer or by hand on graph paper. When needed, neatly draw all sketches and data plots using a straight edge, French curve, compass, etc., and show all relevant labels. When feasible, site plans and schematics should be drawn to a proportional scale. Failure to submit legible, neat, professional- looking assignments will adversely affect your grade. Above all, present your results clearly and concisely so that someone else, who may be less knowledgeable than you are, can understand and apply your recommendations correctly.
The University of Texas of Austin CE360K Foundation Engineering
Students with Disabilities The University of Texas at Austin provides, upon request, appropriate academic accommodations for qualified students with disabilities. For more information, contact the Division of Diversity and Community Engagement, Services for Students with Disabilities, 512-471-6259 (Videophone: 512-410-6644) or http://diversity.utexas.edu/disability/
Academic Integrity Students who violate University rules on scholastic dishonesty are subject to disciplinary penalties, including the possibility of failure in the course and/or dismissal from The University. Since such dishonesty harms the individual, all students, and the integrity of The University, policies on scholastic dishonesty will be strictly enforced. Violations will be reported to the Office of the Dean of Students. Remember, as an engineer, you are also held to a high standard of ethical conduct.
Deadlines and Drop Policy Students are strongly urged to make any changes in their course schedules during the first week of classes so that other students who need to add the course can be accommodated. Changes in your course registration should be completed by the fourth day of classes.
From the 1st through the 12th class day, an undergraduate student can drop a course via the web and receive a refund, if eligible. From the 13th through the university’s academic drop deadline, a student may Q drop a course with approval from the Dean, and departmental advisor. The University of Texas of Austin CE360K Foundation Engineering
Course Outline
1. Introduction (Weeks 1-2) Foundation Types (Section 1) Selection of Foundations Allowable Movements (Section 5.3)
2. Soil Mechanics Review (Week 3) Soil Description, Classification (Sections 3.1-3.2) Effective Stress (Section 3.3) Consolidation (Section 3.4, 4.2)
3. Geotechnical Site Characterization (Weeks 4-6) Site Exploration, Borings (Section 4.1) Soil Sampling (Section 4.1) In Situ Tests (Section 4.3) Shear Strength (Section 3.5, 4.2)
4. Shallow Foundations (Weeks 7-9) Bearing Capacity (Sections 7.1-7.9) Evaluation of Settlements (Sections 8.1-8.6) Mat Foundations (Sections 11.1-11.6)
5. Introduction to Deep Foundations (Week 10) Pile foundations (Sections 12.1-12.2) Drilled shaft foundation (Sections 12.3) Load transfer mechanisms (Sections 13.1)
6. Axial Load Capacity of Deep Foundations (Weeks 11-12) Static Capacity Analysis for Piles (Sections 15.1-15.2) Static Capacity Analysis for Drilled Shafts (Sections 16.1-16.2) Field Load Tests (Sections 14.1-14.5) Group Effects (Sections 15.5, 16.5) Settlement (Sections 20.1-20.4)
7. Construction of Deep Foundations (Weeks 13-14) Pile Driving (Section 12.2) Pile Driving Formula (Section 19.1) Wave Equation Analysis (Sections 19.2-19.3) Drilled shaft construction (Section 12.3)
8. Foundations on Expansive Soils (Week 15) Design approaches (Sections 27.1-27.5)
The University of Texas of Austin CE360K Foundation Engineering
Tentative Laboratory Schedule
Date No. Laboratory August 26 1 Extra lecture (Dr. Rathje) September 2 2 - no laboratory - September 9 3 Project Assigned, Project Team Meetings September 16 4 Guest Lecture: Dr. Charles Woodruff on Austin Geology September 23 5 Project Team Meetings September 30 6 Phase I Project Presentations October 7 7 Project Team Meetings October 14 8 Exam #1 (no lecture) October 21 9 Project Team Meetings October 28 10 Project Team Meetings November 4 11 Phase II Progress Report Due November 11 12 Project Team Meetings November 18 13 Project Team Meetings November 25 14 - no laboratory - December 2 15 Exam #2
Note: Students are expected to attend all laboratory sessions, although laboratory sessions in bold are mandatory. Laboratory session will also be used for make-up lectures, field trips, and guest lectures, which also will be mandatory. These mandatory sessions will be scheduled as the semester progresses.
The University of Texas of Austin CE360K Foundation Engineering
Example Cover Sheet for Class Assignments
MEMORANDUM
To: Prof. Ellen M. Rathje
From: CAEE Student
Date: September 1, 2011
Subject: Allowable Bearing Pressures for Alamo Bank Footings
I have attached an analysis to estimate the allowable bearing pressures for the proposed footings for the Alamo Bank Building.
Your memo of November 28, 2008 indicated that column loads up to 175 tons will be placed on square spread footings located at shallow depths in compacted fill. Accordingly, the following bearing pressures can be used to design these square footings:
Depth of Footing (ft) Allowable Bearing Pressure (psf) 3 6800 5 7600 8 8800
These bearing pressures are allowable values that include a factor of safety of 3 against bearing failure. This analysis is based on the undrained strength of the unsaturated, compacted soil (expressed as c=700 psf, =19) as determined from the UU triaxial test data that you provided. It has been assumed that the soil will be compacted in the field to a density and water content similar to that used in preparing the laboratory test specimens.
A footing design based on these allowable pressures should yield an adequate margin of safety against a catastrophic bearing failure. We have not considered long-term settlement of the footings; we can conduct additional work to estimate the magnitude of potential settlements in this foundation system if it is of interest or concern.
If you need additional information, or have further questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.