Mastering Earthwork and Foundation Engineering
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Introduction (course purpose)
- Earth work is most unpredictable part of civil works
- What makes it unpredictable
- Inadequacies in surveys
- Erroneous surveys
- Strata is Covered – invisible
- Unpredictability in excavations
- Inadequate exploration
- Unexpected Changes in strata
- Different strata needs different efforts and rates
- Possibility of dewatering
- Unpredictability in filling
- Wrong survey data
- Wrong prediction of availability of filling material from excavation
- Improper filling material available from excavation
- To make predictions more realistic
- Better data and better interpretation
- Correct Surveys
- Adequate geotechnical exploration
- Correct interpretation of strata classification
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Geotechnical Investigations / Sub-soil exploration
- Why necessary
- Methods of GI
- Trial pits or Test pits (advantages / limitation)
- Exploratory Bore Holes (detailed process explanation)
- Reading Trial pit results
- Bore Logs and Core Logs
- Tests carried out during Geotechnical Investigations (detailed explanation)
- SPT
- Plate Load Test (PLT)
- Cone Penetration Test
- Laboratory Tests (detailed explanation)
- Direct Shear Stress Test
- Utterberg’s Limits
- Free Swell Index
- Interpretation of Investigations (Exercise)
- Reading bore logs
- Approximation of strata Classification for Construction
- Approximation of Strata Classification for Foundation Design
- Interpretation of Test results
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Terracing
- Concept of terracing (with demonstration)
- Advantages of terracing for volumes
- Advantages of terracing for Structural stability of soli
- Deciding Suitability for terracing
- Access road arrangements / planning
- Concept of terracing (with demonstration)
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Material Selection for earthwork
- Selection / Rejection from available material
- Material brought from outside / borrow pits
- Tests to be carried out on filling material
- Layering of filling
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Types of Foundations
- Types of foundations
- Suitability of foundation types for different structures
- Suitability of foundations for different founding strata
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Ensuring Desired founding conditions
- Exercise for participants
- What to look in tests
- How to decide parameters
- Exercise for participants
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Surveys
- Surveys for mapping
- Types of Surveys
- Planimetric or cadastral
- Topographic or elevational
- Space controlled (3D)
- Equipment Used for Surveys
- Old instruments like Dumpy level, Auto Level, Theodolite
- Advanced equipment like Total Station Theodolite (TST), EDM (electronic distance measurement)
- Advantages of using TST or EDMS
- Essential Data to be captured during survey
- Plot Boundaries
- Important geographical features like forests, lakes, rivers
- Sudden changes in topography (cliffs, cuts)
- Existing Structures / Trees / Temples / Monuments / Graves etc.
- Access roads / Pathways in hilly areas
- Understanding Contours
- Contour lines
- Contour Interval
- Reading Contours (exercise)
- Drawing profiles from contours
- Plain and Steep ground
- Valleys and Ridges
- Summits and Bowls
- Cliffs and overhangs
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Earth retention options
- Understanding Stable Slopes
- Angle of Repose
- Why earth retention is required
- Plot Boundaries
- Flooding possibilities
- Accessibility
- Earth retention in cutting
- Stable slopes in cutting
- Slope stabilization for excavated faces
- Earth retention in filling
- Stable Slopes in filling (concept of c-phi and angle of repose)
- Full or partial heights
- Options for earth retention in filling
- Gravity retaining walls (with Design Considerations)
- Concrete retaining walls (with Design Considerations)
- RE walls (with Design Considerations)
- Understanding Stable Slopes
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Working out Cutting and Filling Quantities (Demonstration and Exercise)
- Using 3D meshing software (conceptual)
- Choosing software
- Limitations of software
- From contours using AutoCAD
- Trapezoidal formula Explanation
- Volumes using contours
- Volumes of filling
- Stratawise volumes of Cutting
- Making up Cut-Fill quantities
- Cocept of balancing quantities
- Optimisation considerations for balancing of quantities
- Using 3D meshing software (conceptual)
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Compaction methods and Tests
- Understanding compaction and consolidation
- Effects of improper compaction
- Factors affecting compaction
- Equipments used for compaction
- Layering for good compaction
- Tests to check compaction
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Design of foundations (detailed explanations)
- Function of foundation
- Basic Design requirements for all foundations
- Design Considerations / Procedures for Design of
- Isolated footings
- Strip foundation
- Equipment Foundations (solid)
- Pile foundations
- Retaining wall