Overview
In this unit, you will analyse, design and prepare documentation for major civil engineering projects involving a broad range of investigation and design activities.You will establish project requirements and determine design loads and conditions, analyse structures and design components using Australian Standards and/or relevant guidance. You will use commercial computer software STB2010 and GeoStudio to analyse and design the structures with various design actions; conduct site investigations, test and characterise geotechnical materials, design foundations and earth retaining structures, and make assessments of geotechnical stability. In this unit, you are expected to document the process of modelling, testing and analysis, and communicate, work and learn, both individually and in teams, in a professional manner. This unit provides an opportunity to promote the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 11: sustainable cities and communities.
Details
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites
Prerequisite: (ENEC12012 Stress Analysis or ENEC13010 Solid Mechanics) AND ENEC12008 Geotechnical Engineering AND (ENEC13015 Steel & Timber Design or ENEC13011 Steel Structures) AND (ENEC13016 Concrete Technology & Design or ENEC14013 Concrete Structures)
Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).
Offerings For Term 1 - 2026
Attendance Requirements
All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes - in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).
Recommended Student Time Commitment
Each 12-credit Undergraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 25 hours of study per week, making a total of 300 hours for the unit.
Class Timetable
Assessment Overview
Assessment Grading
This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of 'pass' in order to pass the unit. If any 'pass/fail' tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully ('pass' grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the 'assessment task' section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%). Consult the University's Grades and Results Policy for more details of interim results and final grades.
All University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
You may wish to view these policies:
- Grades and Results Policy
- Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework)
- Review of Grade Procedure
- Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure - Domestic Students
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure - International Students
- Student Refund and Credit Balance Policy and Procedure
- Student Feedback - Compliments and Complaints Policy and Procedure
- Information and Communications Technology Acceptable Use Policy and Procedure
This list is not an exhaustive list of all University policies. The full list of University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
Feedback, Recommendations and Responses
Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.
Feedback from SUTE
The timing of lectures fell mostly on public holidays, which leaves less time for assignment preparation.
Make-up classes for public holidays should be scheduled within the same week to prevent delays in learning.
Feedback from SUTE
Students felt that the unit was overloaded, combining content from three subjects into one.
The content of the unit should be reassessed.
Feedback from Unit coordinator's reflection
Student learning progression could be improved.
The content covered in the past week should be discussed by the lecturers in the following week.
Feedback from Unit coordinator's reflection
Students often struggle to understand the unit requirements.
Unit requirements should be discussed by the UC and members of the teaching team.
- Demonstrate a commitment to ethical practice by promoting principles of sustainable development and awareness of stakeholder requirements
- Determine and justify loads and load combinations for a structural system
- Analyse and design concrete and masonry structural components using appropriate Australian Standards
- Describe and apply site investigation and geotechnical testing techniques to characterise sites and geotechnical materials based on Australian Standards
- Analyse and design foundations and earth retaining structures and assess the stability of slopes
- Accurately model and analyse structural and geotechnical systems using industry-standard software and Australian Standards.
The Learning Outcomes for this unit are linked with the Engineers Australia Stage 1 Competency Standards for Professional Engineers in the areas of 1. Knowledge and Skill Base, 2. Engineering Application Ability and 3. Professional and Personal Attributes at the following levels:
Introductory
3.1 Ethical conduct and professional accountability. (LO: 3N)
Intermediate
1.2 Conceptual understanding of the mathematics, numerical analysis, statistics, and computer and information sciences which underpin the engineering discipline. (LO: 3I)
1.4 Discernment of knowledge development and research directions within the engineering discipline. (LO: 2I 3I 4I)
3.5 Orderly management of self, and professional conduct. (LO: 4I)
Advanced
1.1 Comprehensive, theory-based understanding of the underpinning natural and physical sciences and the engineering fundamentals applicable to the engineering discipline. (LO: 3A 4I)
1.3 In-depth understanding of specialist bodies of knowledge within the engineering discipline. (LO: 2A 3A 4I 5A)
1.5 Knowledge of engineering design practice and contextual factors impacting the engineering discipline. (LO: 2A 3A 5A)
1.6 Understanding of the scope, principles, norms, accountabilities and bounds of sustainable engineering practice in the specific discipline. (LO: 1A 3I)
2.1 Application of established engineering methods to complex engineering problem solving. (LO: 3A 5A)
2.2 Fluent application of engineering techniques, tools and resources. (LO: 3A 5A 6A)
2.3 Application of systematic engineering synthesis and design processes. (LO: 2A 3A 4A 5A)
2.4 Application of systematic approaches to the conduct and management of engineering projects. (LO: 2I 3A 5A)
3.2 Effective oral and written communication in professional and lay domains. (LO: 3A 4A)
3.6 Effective team membership and team leadership. (LO: 3A 4A)
Note: LO refers to the Learning Outcome number(s) which link to the competency and the levels: N – Introductory, I – Intermediate and A - Advanced.
Refer to the Engineering Undergraduate Course Moodle site for further information on the Engineers Australia's Stage 1 Competency Standard for Professional Engineers and course level mapping information https://moodle.cqu.edu.au/course/view.php?id=1511
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
| Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | |
| 1 - Written Assessment - 30% | ||||||
| 2 - Written Assessment - 50% | ||||||
| 3 - Presentation - 20% | ||||||
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
| Graduate Attributes | Learning Outcomes | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | |
| 1 - Communication | ||||||
| 2 - Problem Solving | ||||||
| 3 - Critical Thinking | ||||||
| 4 - Information Literacy | ||||||
| 5 - Team Work | ||||||
| 6 - Information Technology Competence | ||||||
| 7 - Cross Cultural Competence | ||||||
| 8 - Ethical practice | ||||||
| 9 - Social Innovation | ||||||
| 10 - First Nations Knowledges | ||||||
| 11 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures | ||||||
Textbooks
Soil Mechanics and Foundations
- Edition: 3rd (2010)
- Authors: Muni Budhu
- John Wiley & Sons
- USA
- ISBN: 978-0-470-55684-9
- Binding: Hardcover
Foundation Analysis and Design
- Fifth Edition (2017)
- Authors: Joseph Bowles
- McGraw-Hill
- USA
- ISBN: 978-1259061035
- Binding: Hardcover
IT Resources
- CQUniversity Student Email
- Internet
- Unit Website (Moodle)
- Finite Element Software for Structural Analysis: SPACE GASS
- Geotechnical software for slope stability: Geostudio
All submissions for this unit must use the referencing style: Harvard (author-date)
For further information, see the Assessment Tasks.
s.ullah@cqu.edu.au
Week 1
Begin Date: 09 Mar 2026Module/Topic
Lecture 1: Introducing the course and discussion on soil bearing capacity
Lecture 2: Masonry Design
Tutorial 1: Geotechnical Engineering
Tutorial 2: Structural Engineering
Chapter
Geotechnical Design: Bearing Capacity of Shallow Foundation
Structural Design: Masonry Design (AS3700-2018)
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 2
Begin Date: 16 Mar 2026Module/Topic
Lecture 1: Bearing Capacity II
Lecture 2: Masonry Design and Material Properties
Tutorial 1: Geotechnical Engineering
Tutorial 2: Structural Engineering
Chapter
Geotechnical Design: Bearing Capacity of Shallow Foundation (continued)
Structural Design: Masonry, Material Properties, Design of Control Joints (AS3700-2018)
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 3
Begin Date: 23 Mar 2026Module/Topic
Lecture 1: Bearing Capacity III
Lecture 2: Design of Unreinforced Masonry I
Tutorial 1: Geotechnical Engineering
Tutorial 2: Structural Engineering
Chapter
Geotechnical Design: Pile Foundation
Structural Design: Design for in-plane and out-of-plane shear (AS3700-2018)
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 4
Begin Date: 30 Mar 2026Module/Topic
Lecture 1: Bearing Capacity IV
Lecture 2: Design of Unreinforced Masonry II
Tutorial 1: Geotechnical Engineering
Tutorial 2: Structural Engineering
Chapter
Geotechnical Design: Pile Foundations (continued)
Structural Design: Design for out-of-plane Bending (AS3700-2018)
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 5
Begin Date: 06 Apr 2026Module/Topic
Lecture 1: Retaining Wall I
Lecture 2: Design of Unreinforced Masonry III
Tutorial 1: Geotechnical Engineering
Tutorial 2: Structural Engineering
Chapter
Geotechnical Design: Retaining Wall
Structural Design: Design for Compression (AS3700-2018)
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 6
Begin Date: 13 Apr 2026Module/Topic
Lecture 1: Retaining Wall II
Lecture 2: Prestressed Concrete Design I
Tutorial 1: Geotechnical Engineering
Tutorial 2: Structural Engineering
Chapter
Geotechnical Design: Retaining Wall (continued)
Structural Design: Introduction to Prestressed Concrete Design
Events and Submissions/Topic
Masonry project submission.
Masonry Design Assignment Due: Week 6 Friday (17 Apr 2026) 11:59 pm AEST
Vacation Week
Begin Date: 20 Apr 2026Module/Topic
Mid-term break
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 7
Begin Date: 27 Apr 2026Module/Topic
Lecture 1: Slope Stability I
Lecture 2: Prestressed Concrete Design II
Tutorial 1: Geotechnical Engineering
Tutorial 2: Structural Engineering
Chapter
Geotechnical Design: Slope Stability
Structural Design: Estimation of Prestress Force and Tendon Profile
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 8
Begin Date: 04 May 2026Module/Topic
Lecture 1: Slope Stability II
Lecture 2: Prestressed Concrete Design III
Tutorial 1: Geotechnical Engineering
Tutorial 2: Structural Engineering
Chapter
Geotechnical Design: Site Investigation
Structural Design: Ultimate Design Checks
Events and Submissions/Topic
Each student in the PC design class will receive notification of their specific presentation time. The presentation will take place between weeks 10 - 12.
Week 9
Begin Date: 11 May 2026Module/Topic
Lecture 1: Slope Stability Software
Lecture 2: Prestressed Concrete Design IV
Tutorial 1: Geotechnical Engineering
Tutorial 2: Structural Engineering
Chapter
Geotechnical Design: Soil Testing
Structural Design: Losses in Prestressed Beam
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 10
Begin Date: 18 May 2026Module/Topic
Lecture 1: Site Investigation
Lecture 2: Prestressed Concrete Design IV
Chapter
Tutorials
Events and Submissions/Topic
Preparation for prestressed concrete (PC) design presentation.
Week 11
Begin Date: 25 May 2026Module/Topic
Lecture 1: Review of Geotechnical Engineering
Lecture 2: Review of Structural Engineering
Chapter
Tutorials
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 12
Begin Date: 01 Jun 2026Module/Topic
No lectures in this week
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Geotechnical engineering submission.
Geotechnical Engineering Assignment Due: Week 12 Monday (1 June 2026) 11:59 pm AEST
Exam Week
Begin Date: 08 Jun 2026Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Vacation/Exam Week
Begin Date: 15 Jun 2026Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
1 Written Assessment
This assignment aims to allow the students to demonstrate their understanding of various concepts, theories, software, and processes developed in the masonry design covered in the unit. This may include but is not limited to structural analysis, calculation of design actions, and design of masonry members for all gravitational and lateral loads.
The assignment details, including the required pieces of work, will be available on the unit website by the end of week 1.
AI ASSESSMENT SCALE - NO AI
You must not use Al at any point during the assessment. You must demonstrate your core skills and knowledge.
Week 6 Friday (17 Apr 2026) 11:59 pm AEST
Submit the assessment item on or before the due date and time. Late submission penalty is 5% per day of the allotted mark. Extension requests greater than 14 days will be denied except under exceptional circumstances. Any extension request submitted on the day of submission will be denied.
Marked report will be returned within 2 weeks of submission
Each main step in project tasks will be assessed separately for the following items:
- Correct application of mathematics and arithmetic
- Reference to correct Standards and/or principles
- Problem clearly identified and explained in the answer
- Correct results
In addition, each project as a whole will be assessed against the following criteria:
Evidence of correct procedures
- All necessary steps in the analysis are present in the correct order
- Explain mathematical and arithmetic calculations clearly, connecting given problem information to the obtained results
- Evidence of checking results (mathematical, graphical, logic-common sense)
Evidence of the understanding of the topic
- Explanation of choices made in the analysis (why is the procedure required, why this particular procedure)
- Interpretation of results, e.g., limitations, the direction of vectors
- Demonstrate a commitment to ethical practice by promoting principles of sustainable development and awareness of stakeholder requirements
- Determine and justify loads and load combinations for a structural system
- Analyse and design concrete and masonry structural components using appropriate Australian Standards
- Accurately model and analyse structural and geotechnical systems using industry-standard software and Australian Standards.
2 Written Assessment
This assignment aims to allow the students to demonstrate their understanding of various concepts, theories, and processes developed in Geotechnical Engineering topics covered in the unit. This may include but is not limited to consolidation, slope stability, site investigation, earth retaining wall, and foundation design.
The details of the assignment, including the required pieces of work, will be available on the unit website by end of week 3.
AI ASSESSMENT SCALE - NO AI
You must not use Al at any point during the assessment. You must demonstrate your core skills and knowledge.
Week 12 Monday (1 June 2026) 11:59 pm AEST
Submit the assessment item on or before the due date and time. Late submission penalty is 5% per day of the allotted mark. Extension requests greater than 14 days will be denied except under exceptional circumstances. Any extension request submitted on the day of submission will be denied.
Marked report will be returned within 2 weeks of submission
Each main step in the project will be assessed separately for the following items:
- Correct application of mathematics and arithmetic
- Reference to correct Standards and/or principles
- Problem clearly identified and explained in the answer
- Correct results
In addition, each project as a whole will be assessed against the following criteria:
Evidence of correct procedures
- All necessary steps in the analysis are present in the correct order
- Explain mathematical and arithmetic calculations clearly, connecting given problem information to the obtained results
- Evidence of checking results (mathematical, graphical, logic-common sense)
Evidence of the understanding of the topic
- Explanation of choices made in the analysis (why is the procedure required, why this particular procedure)
- Interpretation of results, eg limitations, the direction of vectors
- Demonstrate a commitment to ethical practice by promoting principles of sustainable development and awareness of stakeholder requirements
- Describe and apply site investigation and geotechnical testing techniques to characterise sites and geotechnical materials based on Australian Standards
- Analyse and design foundations and earth retaining structures and assess the stability of slopes
- Accurately model and analyse structural and geotechnical systems using industry-standard software and Australian Standards.
3 Presentation
This assignment aims to allow the students to demonstrate their understanding of various concepts, theories, software, and processes developed in prestressed concrete covered in this unit. This may include but is not limited to structural analysis, calculation of design actions and design of prestressed concrete members.
This work will be assessed through a formal presentation, which contains evidence of all the work that the student has performed. Students must read the task carefully and follow instructions and time frames as specified to complete the task successfully.
Details of the task, including required pieces of work, will be available on the unit website by end of week 6.
Students must be prepared to answer questions raised by the facilitator/lecturer. The questions will be based on the work submitted for this assignment. Due to the nature of the assessment item, each question will be marked either satisfactory or unsatisfactory.
All presentations will be recorded for assessment review purposes and may be stored for up to 3 months (or as required by DDLT) after the release of the grades.
AI ASSESSMENT SCALE - NO AI
You must not use Al at any point during the assessment. You must demonstrate your core skills and knowledge.
Individual time for each student will be notified in week 10.
Feedback will be released only on Grade certification date
- The work (job) is clearly identified (problem, data, analysis)
- A clear statement of each problem and its details and requirements
- The logical layout of the analysis
- Appropriate use of diagrams, clear diagrams
- Correct use of terminology, conventions
- Clear English in the explanation of procedure and interpretation of results.
A quick Q&A session will be followed the presentation. Each question in the Q&A session will be assessed separately for criterion accuracy, comprehension, and correct understanding of the principles.
- Explanation of choices made in the analysis or design (why is the procedure required, why this particular procedure)
- Interpretation of results, eg limitations, the direction of vectors
- Ability to use the knowledge in similar and/or less-complex scenarios
- Ability to answer questions on software used
Each question will be marked either satisfactory or unsatisfactory based on the answer given by the student. The satisfactory answer will be marked as 1 and the unsatisfactory answer will be marked as 0. Then it will be converted to final marks with a direct scale.
Example: If a total number of questions = 10 and a student answered 7 questions correctly, then he answered 70% of the questions correctly. Therefore, the student will get 0.7x20 = 14 marks for this assessment item.
- Determine and justify loads and load combinations for a structural system
- Analyse and design concrete and masonry structural components using appropriate Australian Standards
As a CQUniversity student you are expected to act honestly in all aspects of your academic work.
Any assessable work undertaken or submitted for review or assessment must be your own work. Assessable work is any type of work you do to meet the assessment requirements in the unit, including draft work submitted for review and feedback and final work to be assessed.
When you use the ideas, words or data of others in your assessment, you must thoroughly and clearly acknowledge the source of this information by using the correct referencing style for your unit. Using others’ work without proper acknowledgement may be considered a form of intellectual dishonesty.
Participating honestly, respectfully, responsibly, and fairly in your university study ensures the CQUniversity qualification you earn will be valued as a true indication of your individual academic achievement and will continue to receive the respect and recognition it deserves.
As a student, you are responsible for reading and following CQUniversity’s policies, including the Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure. This policy sets out CQUniversity’s expectations of you to act with integrity, examples of academic integrity breaches to avoid, the processes used to address alleged breaches of academic integrity, and potential penalties.
What is a breach of academic integrity?
A breach of academic integrity includes but is not limited to plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, cheating, contract cheating, and academic misconduct. The Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure defines what these terms mean and gives examples.
Why is academic integrity important?
A breach of academic integrity may result in one or more penalties, including suspension or even expulsion from the University. It can also have negative implications for student visas and future enrolment at CQUniversity or elsewhere. Students who engage in contract cheating also risk being blackmailed by contract cheating services.
Where can I get assistance?
For academic advice and guidance, the Academic Learning Centre (ALC) can support you in becoming confident in completing assessments with integrity and of high standard.
What can you do to act with integrity?
