Foundation and Soil Engineering (5 ECTS)

Objective

On completion of the course the student can:
- identify the most common types of soil and related geotechnical properties
- interpret results from common base examinations
- choose the appropriate method of building foundations in different circumstances, knows different methods of building foundations
- produce a simple base construction plan and understand the role of the foundation construction document
- understand the bearing capacity of different soil types
- understand pressure load
- explain simple foundation construction on rock, directly on ground and on piles, and perform calculations related to these
- choose the appropriate machinery and equipment for different phases of foundation construction work
- explain the construction of trenches
- explain the principles of drainage and plan drainage
- explain the principles of frost protection and plan frost protection
- explain the substructures of a building
- explain subgrade reinforcement methods.

Content

1. Soil types and geotechnical properties
2. Base soil examination methods
3. Soil properties in terms of load bearing capacity
4. Foundation methods and structures
5. Foundation methods on rock and related calculations
6. Foundation methods for building lying directly on the ground and related calculations
7. Foundation methods on piles and related calculations
8. Difficulty category A substructures and most common risks in foundation construction
9. Basics of quality assurance
10. Introduction to the publications MaaRYL, TaloRYL, National Building Code
11. Different types of substructures for buildings
12. Planning trench works and principles of carrying out trench works
13. Drainage of substructures and the surroundings
14. Frost protection
15. Subgrade reinforcement methods
16. Foundation repair methods.

Materials

lecture material
Jääskeläinen; Fundamentals of Geotechnics
InfraRYL, MaaRYL
additional literature related to the topic in connection with each lecture (not mandatory)

Teaching methods

in contact teaching, lectures and exercises every week
partly obligatory homework exercises
3 Practice works

Exam schedules

exam at the end of November
repeat tests in December
returns of exercises according to the date in Moodle

Student workload

contact teaching 4h/week
homework 2h/week
exercises 60h
exam 10h

Evaluation scale

0-5

Assessment criteria, satisfactory (1)

The student can
- explain typical foundation types and foundation construction methods for different types of soil
- understand the load bearing capacity of soil in different circumstances
- explain the methods and phases of earth construction as well as the machinery and equipment used for every task
- describe principles of planning and supervising earth construction and produce an earth construction plan with guidance
- explain the contents of the occupational safety plan for earth construction.

Assessment criteria, good (3)

The student can
- choose the appropriate method of building foundations for each circumstance
- make calculations related to a simple foundation when the foundation is built on rock, directly on the ground, or on piles
- explain the methods and phases of earth construction as well as the machinery and equipment used for every task
- apply principles of planning and supervising earth construction and produce an earth construction plan with guidance
- produce an occupational safety plan for earth construction.

Assessment criteria, excellent (5)

The student can
- choose the appropriate method of building foundations for each circumstance without difficulty
- make calculations for a base or a foundation structure on rock based on the load bearing capacity of the ground
- make calculations related to a simple foundation on piles
- calculate the pressure load
- explain the methods and phases of earth construction as well as the machinery and equipment used for every task
- apply principles of planning and supervising earth construction and produce an earth construction plan with guidance
- produce an occupational safety plan for earth construction.

Assessment criteria, approved/failed

The student can
- explain typical foundation types and foundation construction methods for different types of soil
- understand the load bearing capacity of soil in different circumstances
- explain the methods and phases of earth construction as well as the machinery and equipment used for every task
- describe principles of planning and supervising earth construction and produce an earth construction plan with guidance
- explain the contents of the occupational safety plan for earth construction.

Assessment methods and criteria

exam (50% of the entire course assessment)
3 exercises (50% of the entire course assessment)

mandatory class/week exercises - passed / failed

Qualifications

None