ADVANCED SOIL MECHANICS - 2025/6

Module Overview

This module is designed to provide insights into aspects of advanced soil mechanics, including soil constitutive models, soil parameter selections and determinations, which are necessary to carry out design of geotechnical structures and foundations. It will also introduce the Finite Element Models and its applications to analyse typical soil-structure interaction problems. It builds upon the fundamental knowledge from module ENG2104 Soil Mechanics, thus a revision to the essential basics is given at the start of the module.

Module provider

Sustainability, Civil & Env Engineering

Module Leader

CUI Liang (Sust & CEE)

Number of Credits: 15

ECTS Credits: 7.5

Framework: FHEQ Level 7

Module cap (Maximum number of students): N/A

Module Availability

Semester 1

Prerequisites / Co-requisites

NA

Module content

The module contents are designed to equip students with advanced theories and principles in soil mechanics to enable students (future geotechnical engineers) to solve complex geotechnical problems. Students will be introduced the following contents and get prepared for complex geotechnical design using both hand calculations and commercial software. 

Indicative content includes: 

• 
  Revision of fundamental soil mechanics 
  

Index properties of soil, soil classification, characterisation and testing, permeability, soil strength compressibility and consolidation, fundamental soil testing 

• 
  Strength of soil 
  

Effective stress concept, undrained strength of clay, drained strength of sand and clay (peak, residual, critical state) 

• 
  Constitutive models for soil 
  

Stress paths, compression and swelling, normal compression line (NCL), critical state line (CSL), Mohr-Coulomb model, Cam-clay model, critical state framework 

• 
  Soil stiffness 
  

Undrained/drained modulus, Young’s modulus, shear modulus, bulk modulus, strain level, stiffness variation against depth, anisotropy. 

• 
  Finite Element Method 
  

Basic concepts,  FE meshes, stiffness matrix, nodal loads for a continuum, higher order elements, non-linear analysis techniques.

• 
  Advanced soil testing 
  

Cyclic triaxial tests, dynamic simple shear, bender element test, resonant column test. 

• 
  Site Investigation 
  

Exploration and sampling, in-situ testing, interpretation of test data

Assessment pattern

Alternative Assessment

NA

Assessment Strategy

The assessment strategy is designed to provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate: 

• The understanding the roles of soil parameters in geotechnical design 
• The ability to carry out hand calculations to determine soil parameters or stress/strains using different soil constitutive models 
• The ability to select appropriate soil parameters and appropriate soil constitutive models to carry out Finite Element modelling 
• The understanding of working mechanism of advanced soil testing apparatus and the ability to interpret advance soil testing data 
• The understanding of site investigation and site exploration methods 

    Thus, the summative assessment for this module consists of: 

• Coursework on FE modelling of a geotechnical scenario to assess the ability to self-learn the commercial FEM software, Plaxis, interpret site investigation results, make appropriate choices of soil stiffness and strength parameters and suitable soil constitutive model, build up FEM model, and analyse the geotechnical problem (LO's 2, 3, 5, 6) 
• Final exam to assess the understanding of soil constitutive models, soil stiffness and strength parameters, advanced soil testing, and site investigation methods, and the ability to apply the knowledge to solve problems (LO's 1, 2, 4, 5, 7) 

   Formative assessment and feedback 

• Formative coursework on hand calculations to assess students' ability of applying the theories to solve analytical problems and processing laboratory test data to assess students¿ understanding of advanced soil testing  
• Tutorial questions are designed to assess the learning of students and solutions are provided for feedback. 
• Feedback on coursework is provided on returning work.

Module aims

• Provide students with various soil constitutive models and choices for design in various conditions
• Give students training on applying the theories and principles to solve problems
• Introduce students to soil stiffness and its nonlinearity and anisotropy, as well as their implications for geotechnical design
• Give students introduction and training on analyses of soil-structure interaction problems using commercial Finite Element Modelling software
• Provide hands-on training on the advanced soil testing methods for determining design parameters
• Introduce students to site investigation methods

Learning outcomes

Methods of Teaching / Learning

The learning and teaching strategy is designed to provide students advanced theories and principles in soil mechanics and approaches to analyse complex geotechnical problems. This module is based on the basic soil mechanics principles introduced in ENG2104 Soil Mechanics.  The module is delivered weekly first via captured contents available to students before timetabled sessions. It is followed by interactive seminars  to discuss the difficult concepts and questions raised by students.To introduce students to advanced soil testing techniques,  laboratory sessions are arranged, including the cyclic triaxial test and the resonant column test.  Apart from the face-to-face seminars and laboratory classes, students are expected to carry out independent learning on a weekly basis to complete tutorial questions, coursework and quizzes.They will exercise the skills of retrieving information and undertaking research to address open-ended questions in the coursework, making decisions with limited and imperfect information for Finite Element modelling.Students will navigate and utilise digital resources on SurreyLearn, such as recorded contents, online quizzes, to aid their learning. They will exercise digital communication skills by using the discussion forum on SurreyLearn, Teams/zooms, emails to discuss the learning issues with lecturers and peers. They will self-learn a commercial FEM software, Plaxis, to perform an analysis of a given geotechnical problem. 

Indicated Lecture Hours (which may also include seminars, tutorials, workshops and other contact time) are approximate and may include in-class tests where one or more of these are an assessment on the module. In-class tests are scheduled/organised separately to taught content and will be published on to student personal timetables, where they apply to taken modules, as soon as they are finalised by central administration. This will usually be after the initial publication of the teaching timetable for the relevant semester.

Reading list

https://readinglists.surrey.ac.uk
Upon accessing the reading list, please search for the module using the module code: ENGM269

Other information

The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering is committed to developing graduates with strengths in Employability, Digital Capabilities, Global and Cultural Capabilities, Sustainability and Resourcefulness and Resilience, in line with the Surrey Curriculum Framework. This module is designed to allow students to develop knowledge, skills and capabilities in the following areas:   

• Digital capabilities: Students will develop capacity to use digital tools to process laboratory test data and graphically present data for soil parameter determination. Students will develop the numerical modelling skills by self-learning a commercial software and using it to analyse a complex geotechnical problem. Students will exercise digital communication skills by using the discussion forum, Teams, Zooms, and emails to participate in discussion. Students will develop capacity in utilising digital resources on SurreyLearn to support learning. 

• Employability: This module enhances students’ employability through equipping them with advanced knowledge, problem-solving skills and design skills in geotechnical engineering. It will also provide training to students in using Plaxis, which is a widely used commercial software in industry. Students also develop teamwork skills while working as groups in laboratory. 

• Resourcefulness and Resilience: This module enhances students’ capacities in information retrieval, decision-making with incomplete information, and design and development of complex and practical solutions to complex geotechnical problems

Please note that the information detailed within this record is accurate at the time of publishing and may be subject to change. This record contains information for the most up to date version of the programme / module for the 2025/6 academic year.