Unit Synopsis
Geotechnical Engineering Design will enable you to develop and apply your knowledge of Australian Standards and/or relevant guidelines to analyse and design advanced geotechnical engineering structures involving a broad range of investigations. You will learn to use computer software to analyse and design the geotechnical components; conduct site investigations; test and characterise geotechnical materials, design foundations, and earth retaining structures; and make assessments of geotechnical stability. Considering stakeholders and sustainability requirements, you will formulate, plan, manage, and complete projects individually and in teams in an ethical and professional manner by. You will also document and communicate engineering information using appropriate language for a professional engineer.
Details
| Level | Postgraduate |
|---|---|
| Unit Level | 8 |
| Credit Points | 12 |
| Student Contribution Band | SCA Band 2 |
| Fraction of Full-Time Student Load | 0.25 |
| Pre-requisites or Co-requisites |
There are no pre-requisites for the unit.
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). |
| Class Timetable | View Unit Timetable |
| Residential School |
Compulsory Residential School View Unit Residential School |
Unit Availabilities from 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 Postgraduate 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.
Assessment Tasks
| Assessment Task | Weighting |
|---|---|
| 1. Written Assessment | 30% |
| 2. Written Assessment | 30% |
| 3. In-class Test(s) | 40% |
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%).
Past Exams
All University policies are available on the Policy web site, however you may wish to directly view the following policies below.
This list is not an exhaustive list of all University policies. The full list of policies are available on the Policy web site .
Term 2 - 2024 : The overall satisfaction for students in the last offering of this course was 100.00% (`Agree` and `Strongly Agree` responses), based on a 85.71% response rate.
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.
Source: SUTE Teacher Evaluation Report
Students found the unit challenging but appreciated the coordinator's teaching style, which included the use of tutorial questions, practical examples, and real-world applications to simplify complex concepts and improve understanding. This approach greatly enhanced their confidence and grasp of the subject matter.
Practical examples and tutorial questions should be maintained and further enhanced to simplify complex concepts. Consider incorporating more real-world case studies and interactive problem-solving sessions, which should continue to build student confidence and understanding.
In Progress
Source: SUTE Teacher Evaluation Report
Students suggested incorporating more practical laboratory work alongside software-based analysis to enrich the learning experience. They also recommended adding site visits to geotechnical facilities or related industries to provide hands-on, real-world exposure.
Practical laboratory sessions should be incorporated to complement software-based analysis and provide a balanced learning approach. Site visits should be organised to geotechnical facilities or related industries to offer students hands-on, real-world exposure and reinforce theoretical knowledge upon availability.
In Progress
Source: SUTE Teacher Evaluation Report
The unit is well-received for its clarity and relevance, with a focus on enhancing its practical aspects through additional hands-on learning opportunities.
Delivering clear and relevant content while expanding hands-on learning opportunities should continue. Enhancing practical engagement by integrating more lab activities, fieldwork, or industry collaborations should strengthen real-world application and student learning outcomes.
In Progress
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
- Identify and apply site investigation and geotechnical testing techniques to characterise sites and geotechnical materials based on Australian Standards
- Evaluate group piles, pad foundations and earth retaining structures and assess stability of slopes
- Plan, manage and complete projects individually or in teams in an ethical and professional manner considering stakeholder requirements and principals of sustainable development
- Use appropriate software to analyse geotechnical components
- Demonstrate a professional level of communication and leadership.
| Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
| 1 - Written Assessment | • | • | • | • | |
| 2 - Written Assessment | • | • | • | ||
| 3 - In-class Test(s) | • | • | • | ||
| Graduate Attributes | Learning Outcomes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
| 1 - Knowledge | • | • | • | • | • |
| 2 - Communication | • | • | • | ||
| 3 - Cognitive, technical and creative skills | • | • | |||
| 4 - Research | • | • | |||
| 5 - Self-management | • | • | • | ||
| 6 - Ethical and Professional Responsibility | • | • | |||
| 7 - Leadership | • | • | |||
| Assessment Tasks | Graduate Attributes | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 8 | |