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Unit of study_

CIVL6455: Advanced Soil Mechanics

2025 unit information

This is an advanced soil mechanics course. It is concerned with the mechanical stress, strain, strength behaviour and the application of this knowledge in geotechnical engineering. The course includes an introduction to critical state soil mechanics, which is used to assist with the interpretation of soil data, and to enable prediction of ground behaviour. The course uses the critical state framework to provide a firm basis for an understanding of the stress, strain, strength behaviour of all soils, and to enable a rational approach to the selection of parameters for use in geotechnical design.

Unit details and rules

Managing faculty or University school:

Engineering

Study level Postgraduate
Academic unit Civil Engineering
Credit points 6
Prerequisites:
? 
None
Corequisites:
? 
None
Prohibitions:
? 
CIVL5455
Assumed knowledge:
? 
[CIVL2410 or CIVL9410] and [CIVL3411 or CIVL9411]. A knowledge of basic concepts and terminology of soil mechanics is assumed. Experience with geotechnical practice in estimating parameters from field and laboratory data would be useful but not essential

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

  • LO1. develop an understanding of what determines the state of soil and its behaviour
  • LO2. Describe and manipulate tensorial state variables such as stress and strain
  • LO3. develop an ability to integrate incrementally constitutive models for soil including elasticity, elastoplasticity, hypoplasticity, and hydrodynamics.
  • LO4. explain how to select models for predicting soil behaviour in practice, and evaluate their limitations
  • LO5. adopt a variety of soil models (Tresca, Drucker-Prager, Modified Cam Clay, etc) to produce meaningful predictions for geotechnical applications
  • LO6. develop an understanding of the role of water in saturated and unsaturated soils
  • LO7. engage with alternative possible interpretations of the same results, critically examine the merits of each and draw appropriate conclusions

Unit availability

This section lists the session, attendance modes and locations the unit is available in. There is a unit outline for each of the unit availabilities, which gives you information about the unit including assessment details and a schedule of weekly activities.

The outline is published 2 weeks before the first day of teaching. You can look at previous outlines for a guide to the details of a unit.

Session MoA ?  Location Outline ? 
Semester 1 2024
Normal evening Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney
Session MoA ?  Location Outline ? 
Semester 1 2025
Normal evening Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney
Outline unavailable
Session MoA ?  Location Outline ? 
Semester 2 2021
Normal evening Remote
Semester 1 2022
Normal evening Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney
Semester 1 2022
Normal evening Remote
Semester 1 2023
Normal evening Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

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Modes of attendance (MoA)

This refers to the Mode of attendance (MoA) for the unit as it appears when you’re selecting your units in Sydney Student. Find more information about modes of attendance on our website.