GTE3601/101/0/2017

Tutorial letter 101/0/2017

Geotechnical Engineering III (Theory)

GTE3601

Year Module

Civil and Chemical Engineering Department

IMPORTANT INFORMATION:
This tutorial letter contains important information
about your module.
 CONTENTS

Page

1 INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................... 3
2 PURPOSE OF AND OUTCOMES FOR THE MODULE............................................................... 3
2.1 Purpose ........................................................................................................................................ 3
2.2 Outcomes ..................................................................................................................................... 3
3 LECTURER(S) AND CONTACT DETAILS................................................................................... 4
3.1 Lecturer(s) .................................................................................................................................... 4
3.2 Department ................................................................................................................................... 4
3.3 University ...................................................................................................................................... 4
4 MODULE-RELATED RESOURCES ............................................................................................. 4
4.1 Prescribed books .......................................................................................................................... 4
4.2 Recommended books ................................................................................................................... 4
4.3 Electronic Reserves (e-Reserves)................................................................................................. 5
4.4 Library services and resources information ................................................................................... 5
5 STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES FOR THE MODULE ............................................................... 5
6 MODULE-SPECIFIC STUDY PLAN ............................................................................................. 5
7 MODULE PRACTICAL WORK AND WORK-INTEGRATED LEARNING .................................... 5
8 ASSESSMENT ............................................................................................................................. 6
8.1 Assessment criteria....................................................................................................................... 6
8.2 Assessment plan .......................................................................................................................... 6
8.3 General assignment numbers ....................................................................................................... 6
8.3.1 Unique assignment numbers ........................................................................................................ 6
8.3.2 Due dates for assignments ........................................................................................................... 6
8.4 Submission of assignments .......................................................................................................... 7
8.5 Assignments ................................................................................................................................. 9
9 OTHER ASSESSMENT METHODS ........................................................................................... 10
10 EXAMINATION ........................................................................................................................... 11
11 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ........................................................................................ 11
12 SOURCES CONSULTED ........................................................................................................... 11
13 CONCLUSION............................................................................................................................ 11
14 ADDENDUM ............................................................................................................................... 11

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 GTE3601/101/0/2017

1 INTRODUCTION
Dear Student
Some of this tutorial matter may not be available when you register. Tutorial matter that is not
available when you register will be posted to you as soon as possible, but is also available on
myUnisa.

2 PURPOSE OF AND OUTCOMES FOR THE MODULE

2.1 Purpose
The aim is to introduce students to a global view of the earth, its position in space relative to the
other planets in the solar system, its internal structure and crustal formation.
A knowledge of the more common and abundant minerals that make up the majority of rocks
forming the crust of the earth is fundamental the identification of rock types and understanding
of how these weather to form soils on which structures are founded.

2.2 Outcomes
The outcomes for this module are:
To direct the attention to, and appraise the learner of the basic origin, composition and
identification of igneous rocks.
To provide an understanding of how igneous rocks are formed their composition,
properties and characteristics.
To provide an understanding of structures that have resulted is important as they have a
significant influence on the design of structures on which they are situated.
To familiarise students with the third major group of rocks i.e. metamorphic rocks.
To have an understanding of how strata can be dated and the timescale of occurrence of
the various era, series, and systems in the South African Stratigraphic column.
To instruct students in the occurrence and location of the groups, formations and the
rocks types that occurs within the various errata in South Africa.
To enlighten students of the processes involved in the weathering of rocks to soils.
To instruct students in the methods employed in field investigations, the profiling of the
various soil horizons and the taking of samples for submission to a laboratory for testing.
To demonstrate some of the more commonly used soil classification systems.

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3 LECTURER(S) AND CONTACT DETAILS
3.1 Lecturer(s)
Your Lecturer is: Mr HH Ndlovu
Tel no.: 012 358 1096
Cell no.: 073 517 8896
E-mail: hosanan@tshwane.gov.za

Contact Times:

Monday to Friday (09:00 to 16:00)

3.2 Department
Department of Civil and Chemical Engineering
Unisa (Florida Campus)
Private Bag x6
Florida
1710
Phone: 011 471 2048/3132
Use the general E-mail address: civil&chemical@unisa.ac.za

3.3 University
www.http://unisa.ac.za

4 MODULE-RELATED RESOURCES
4.1 Prescribed books

Fundamentals of Geotechnical Engineering, 3rd Edition Das, BM Chris Carson

Publishers. ISBN-10:0-495-29574-4/ ISBN-13:978-0-495-29574-7
Standard Methods of Testing Road Construction Materials: TMH1 Department of
Transport ISBN: 0798836539

4.2 Recommended books

THERE ARE NO RECOMMENDED BOOKS FOR THIS MODULE

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 GTE3601/101/0/2017

4.3 Electronic Reserves (e-Reserves)

All course materials are available on myUnisa https://my.unisa.ac.za under the module course
code under Materials. Discussion forums are set up by your lecturer and available for
discussions with your peers https://my.unisa.ac.za some additional electronic resources are
available from the Library site (via www.unisa.ac.za).You may electronically post or upload your
assignments in line with the guidelines explained in the booklet:

4.4 Library services and resources information

For brief information go to : http://www.unisa.ac.za/contents/studies/docs/myStudies-at-
Unisa2017-brochure.pdf
For more detailed information, go to the Unisa website: http://www.unisa.ac.za/, click on Library
For research support and services of Personal Librarians, go to:
http://www.unisa.ac.za/Default.asp?Cmd=ViewContent&ContentID=7102

The Library has compiled numerous library guides:

find recommended reading in the print collection and e-reserves -

http://libguides.unisa.ac.za/request/undergrad
request material - http://libguides.unisa.ac.za/request/request
postgraduate information services - http://libguides.unisa.ac.za/request/postgrad
finding , obtaining and using library resources and tools to assist in doing research
http://libguides.unisa.ac.za/Research_Skills
how to contact the Library/find us on social media/frequently asked questions -
http://libguides.unisa.ac.za/ask

5 STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES FOR THE MODULE

Important information appears in your my Studies @ Unisa brochure.

6 MODULE-SPECIFIC STUDY PLAN

Use your my Studies @ Unisa brochure for general time management and planning skills.

7 MODULE PRACTICAL WORK AND WORK-INTEGRATED LEARNING

The practical component for this module is GTEPRA3.

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8 ASSESSMENT
8.1 Assessment criteria
Assignment 1 will contribute 50% to your year mark.

Assignment 2 contributes 50% to your year mark.

8.2 Assessment plan

The assessment of this course is based on both formative and summative assessment. The
final mark for this module is calculated as follows:

The examination mark contributes 70% towards the final mark

The year mark contributes 30 % towards the final mark

The year mark is calculated based on the two assignments:

o Assignment 1 is compulsory. By submitting assignment 1, you will automatically

be granted examination admission.

8.3 General assignment numbers

Assignments are numbered consecutively per module, starting from 01

8.3.1 Unique assignment numbers

Assignment 1 891780

Assignment 2 810037

8.3.2 Due dates for assignments

Assignment 1 05 May 2017

Assignment 2 07 July 2017

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8.4 Submission of assignments

Note: The cut off dates given here are the official, last dates on which a given assignment may
be submitted. Students must adhere to these dates only. All other dates referring to cut-off
submission dates for assignments, as may be posted on myUnisa or elsewhere, refers to
administrative dates as managed by the Assignments Department and does NOT influence or
change the above dates.

Website
Please note that the department has a web site where additional information on the department
and the modules are available.
The address is: http://www.unisa.ac.za/Default.asp?Cmd=ViewContent&ContentID=19740
Tutorial Letters are available from the myUnisa website. (See my Studies @ Unisa)
Should you encounter any problems in submitting an assignment on myUnisa, you may contact
the help line at myUnisaHelp@unisa.ac.za

Plagiarism
An assignment is designed to be a product of your own study and your own thought. It is not
intended to be a piece of work which merely reproduces details, information or ideas from a
study guide, from books or articles, or from the Internet.
If you do this, you commit plagiarism. Plagiarism is the act of copying word for word with or
without acknowledgment from study sources (e.g. books, articles, the Internet). In other words,
you must submit your own ideas in your own words, sometimes interspersing relevant short
quotations that are properly referenced.

Yes, simply copying a few pages from the prescribed book is plagiarism. Pasting paragraphs
from Wikipedia into your assignment is plagiarism. And it does not stop being plagiarism if you
mention the source.
Skilled scientific writers can use direct block quotations to make a specific point. They know
what they are doing. You still need to develop your own voice, your own style of arguing the
point. Do not plagiarise.
Note that you also commit plagiarism if you copy the assignment of another student. We do
encourage you to work together and form study groups, but you are expected to prepare and
submit your own assignments.
When we receive two or more identical assignments, we are not able to work out who copied
from whom. We will therefore penalize both students.
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If you commit plagiarism you will be penalized and given no marks for your assignment.
This will have a serious effect on your chances to succeed in your studies because you
will have no semester mark.

Furthermore, you may be penalised or subjected to disciplinary proceedings by the University.

Plagiarism is also an offence in terms of the law.

A Signed Declaration
Every essay-type assignment we receive must include the following declaration along with your
name and the date:

I declare that this assignment is my own work and that all sources quoted have been
acknowledged by appropriate references.

We will subtract marks if this declaration is absent from your assignment, just as we will
subtract marks if your assignment does not have a Table of contents, List of references cited,
and so on.

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8.5 Assignments
Question 1 /30/
For a shallow foundation shown below (10m x 10m), with the information provided below, you
need to calculate the following:

Given: The clay is normally consolidated and has a co-efficient of consolidation

Cv = 5 x 10-7m2/s; specific gravity Gs = 2.65; Compression Index Cc = 0.8; saturated unit weight
= 20kN/m3, Void Ratio, e = 0.585; unit weight of sand = 18.5kN/m3. Assume a single layer.
a) Calculate the ultimate vertical effective stress increase by the foundation at the midpoint
of the clay under of the foundation point A using Newmarks solution.7
b) Calculate the ultimate consolidation settlements in the clay under the centre of the
foundation at Point A.10
c) Estimate the consolidation settlement at the clay later after 30 days under point A. 7
d) Estimate the excess pore water pressure remaining at the midpoint of the clay under the
centre of the foundation at point A after 1 year.6

Question 2 /30/
A CU Triaxial compression test was conducted on a saturated clay sample with a confining
stress of 220kPa. The sample failed when the axial stress applied was 160kPa. The pore
water pressure at failure was measured to be 95kPa. Assume the cohesion intercepts c = c =
0kPa
a) Find the major and minor effective principal stress at failure.6
b) Determine the effective angle of internal friction.10
c) Determine the normal effective stress and shear stress on the plane of failure. 10
d) The expected shear strength failure if a direct shear test is conducted on the same sand
with an effective normal stress of 150kPa is conducted.4

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ASSIGNMENT 2

Question 1 /20/

A 500kN/m2 flexible strip load is 4m wide and infinitely long, as shown below. Calculate the
vertical stress caused by load at a depth of 2m, at positions A to D. The positions have been
chosen symmetrical on opposite sides of the centreline in order to illustrate the variation of the
sign of the angle .

Question 2 /30/
a A 2 m thick layer (two way drainage) of saturated clay under a surcharge loading
underwent 90% primary consolidation in 65 days. Find the coefficient of consolidation of
clay for the pressure range.10
b For a 30 mm thick undisturbed clay specimen as described in (a) above, how long will it
take to undergo 90% consolidation in the laboratory for the similar consolidation pressure
range?11
c Define the following concepts
I. Normally consolidated clay.3
II. Over consolidated clay.3
III.Over consolidation ratio.3

9 OTHER ASSESSMENT METHODS

N/A

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10 EXAMINATION

EXAMINATION INFORMATION FOR GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING III

(THEORY) (GTE3601)

Type of examination Closed book

Examination Language English
Calculators allowed - Memories of programmable Yes
calculators must be cleared in the presence in invigilator
prior to start of the examination

11 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

N/A

12 SOURCES CONSULTED
N/A

13 CONCLUSION
Good luck with your studies

14 ADDENDUM
N/A

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