Geotechnical Engineering - NHC2403

Assessment 1: Written practice exercise

Formative assessment and feedback will be provided in face to face sessions for example through performance on tutorial exercises. Formative assessment will be through problem solving tasks in the seminar sessions on which verbal feedback will be provided.
Informal peer to peer feedback will be promoted at the end of the exercise. In addition, facilitators and experts will offer feedback on interim performance exercises. Verbal feedback will also be available as part of the competition or presentation expected at the end of the exercise.

Written practice

Assessment 3: In-Class Test

In Class Test, Your main element of assessment will be an examination which will assess your knowledge and understanding in the key areas of the subject needed for the development of your design skills.  Feedback on this will feed into future assessments as well as supporting your future learning.

In Class Test

Assessment 1: Written Assignment

Taught material will contribute an element every week to the SAIL programme (Score As I Learn) submitted via the VLE platform. 11 x 15 minutes weekly assignments (quizzes). Each assignment (quiz) will be worth 3%. Taking the best 8 out of 11 scores.

Written Assignment

Assessment 2: Written Assignment

Coursework: The coursework will consist of a report of up to 1000 words, and will be worth 26% of the module marks. You will receive individual feedback with marks and comments for this assignment. 

Written assignment

<p>You will be introduced to the application of the principles of soil mechanics to the analysis and design of earth slopes, foundations and retaining structures. You will gain a body of knowledge to allow you to specify, design, evaluate and make decisions in geotechnical problems using contemporary principles and concepts, including the standards, and codes used in industry. You will also gain experience in dealing with the uncertainty arising from the difficulty of characterizing conditions below the ground based on limited data and on how design and health and safety risks arising from this uncertainty can be managed. Almost all civil engineering problems involve some geotechnical engineering; for example all structures have foundations, whilst all railways and highways make use of embankments and cuttings constructed from earth. An understanding of design in this area is therefore important for a civil engineering graduates and will contribute significantly to your employability in the industry.</p>

School of Computing and Engineering

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Civil Engineering

NHC2403 - Geotechnical Engineering

Geotechnical Engineering

Understanding of the different types of geotechnical structures and infrastructures and their suitability for different geological/topological conditions


Apply engineering principles to enable engineering systems and their performance to be classified and described using analytical methods and modelling techniques.

Apply the appropriate analysis tools to the design of foundations and other earth or earth supporting structures.

Describe and critically illustrate the principles and techniques of Geotechnical Engineering design with knowledge of geotechnical structures and components including recent developments in the fields.


Knowledge of analysis tools and modelling techniques for the prediction of the performance of geotechnical structures, including a sound knowledge of the codes of practice used in industry 

