Faculty of Engineering and Architectural Science

Department of Civil Engineering

Course Outline (W2015)

CVL600: Foundation Engineering
Instructor

Dr. Jinyuan Liu, PE, PEng

Office: MON311
Phone: (416) 979-5000 ext 6469
Email: jinyuan.liu@ryerson.ca
Homepage: http://www.ryerson.ca/~j42liu
Lectures
Room: ENG LG06

Monday

12:00-15:00

Tutorials
Section 01
Section 02

Friday
Tuesday

12:00-14:00
16:00-18:00

Room: VIC608
Room: VIC503

Office Hours
Every Friday 13:00-14:45
Prerequisites

The prerequisite is CVL434.

Textbooks:

Principles of Foundation Engineering, 7th edition, By Braja M. Das Publisher: Thomson. ISBN:
0-495-08246-5

Reference
Text

Foundation Design, 2nd edition, by Donald P. Coduto Publisher: Prentice Hall. ISBN: 9780135897065

Calendar
Description

The main purpose of the course is to learn foundation design for civil engineering structures.
The contents include the following: Active and Passive earth pressure calculations; Design of earth
retaining structures, walls, dikes, dams, open and supported excavations, shallow and deep
foundations; Soil bearing capacity; Design of pile foundation and drilled caissons.
In the scheduled lectures, theory and sample problem solutions will be presented. Additional material
will be supplied on hand-out sheets, where necessary.
The tutorial period is to get familiar with procedures and know how to solve the problems. Lab
attendance is mandatory. There will be two types of assignments: lab assignment and take-home
assignment. Lab assignments will be given at the beginning of each tutorial and will be collected at
the end of each tutorial session. Take-home assignments are due a week after they have been given
and should be handed in during the tutorials. The due date for each part will be given at the
beginning of the semester. Completed assignments are necessary to fulfill the requirement of the
1

course.
Learning
Objectives

At the end of this course, the successful student will be able to:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Uses engineering knowledge to solve real world open-ended engineering problems (1c)
Defines design parameter uncertainties and their impacts (4b)
Generates solutions for more complex design engineering problems/systems (4c)
Uses graphics to explain, interpret, and assess information (7d)
Contributes to teamwork in an equitable and timely manner (8a)

Note: Numbers in parentheses refer to the graduate attributes required by the Canadian
Engineering Accreditation Board. For more information, see:
http://www.ryerson.ca/feas/programs/qa/gradattributes.html
Course
Organization

3 hours of lecture per week for 13 weeks, in 1 section

2 hours of tutorial per week for 12 weeks
1 Teaching Assistant

Course
Evaluation

Assignments
Team Projects
Mid-Term Exam
Final Exam
Total

10%
5%
35%
50%
100%

Examinations There will be one 3 hr mid-term exam on February 23, 12:00-15:00 and one 3 hr final exam
(TBD). Both exams will be open book.
Mid-term Exam covers all the contents from week 1 to 6.
Final Exam will cover 40% from week 1 to 6 and 60% from week 9 to 13.

Course Content
Wk
1

Chap.
1

Sections
1.1-1.21

hours
3

handout

2.1-2.27

Natural Soil Deposits; Subsurface Exploration,

Purpose, Program, Sampling Procedures, SPT, VST,
CPT, PMT, Dilatometer Test, Geophysical Exploration,
Boring Log and Exploration Report

3.1-3.6
3.9-3.10

5.1-5.20

General Concept of Bearing Capacity, Terzaghis

Bearing Capacity Formula, Factor of Safety General
Bearing Capacity Equation, Water Table Influence,
Eccentric Loaded Foundations
Vertical Stress Increase in a Soil Mass Caused by
Foundation Load, Elastic Settlement, Consolidation
Settlement

7&8

7.1-7.6
7.10-7.12
8.1-8.4

Topic, description
Quick review of Geotechnical Properties of Soils,
Slope Stability
Stability of Infinite Slopes, Culmann's Method, Slices
Method, Bishop's Simplified Method

Lateral Earth Pressure at Rest, Active and Passive Earth

Pressures, Rankines and Coulombs Earth Pressure
Formulas, Retaining Wall

Family Day and Study Week

Mid-Term Exam (February 23, 2015, 12:00-15:00)

8 &9

8.5-8.8
9.1-9.11

Stability of Retaining Wall, Sheet Pile Wall in Sand

and Clay, Free Earth Support Design

10

10

10.1-10.8

Pressure Envelope for Braced-Cut Design, Cuts in

Layered Soil, Design Various Components of Braced
Cut, Stability of Bottom Heave

11

11

11.1-11.13

Introduction, Types of Pile Foundation, Load Transfer

Mechanism, Equations for Estimating Pile Capacity

12

11

11.14-11.16
11.20-11.24

Pile Load Test, Elastic Settlements, Laterally Loaded

Piles, Group Pile and Efficiency, Ultimate Capacity of
Group Piles in Saturated Clay, Elastic and
Consolidation Settlements of Group Piles

13

12

12.1-12.11

Drilled Shaft and Construction Procedures, Estimate

Load-Bearing Capacity, Drilled Shaft in Sand and
Clay, Settlement of Drilled Shafts at Working Load

Tutorials
Week

Title

Room

2/3

Tutorial problems: Slope Stability

VIC608& VIC503

3/4

Tutorial problems: Site Exploration

VIC608& VIC503

4/5

Tutorial problems: Shallow Foundation

5/6

Tutorial problems: Stress and Settlement

6/8

Tutorial problems: Lateral Earth Pressure &

Retaining Wall

VIC608& VIC503
VIC608& VIC503
VIC608& VIC503

Family Day and Study Week

8/9

Tutorial problems: Braced Cut

VIC608& VIC503

9 / 10

Tutorial problems: Single Pile Capacity

VIC608& VIC503

10 / 11

Tutorial problems: Pile Group Capacity

11 /12

Tutorial problems: Shaft Foundation

12

VIC608& VIC503
VIC608& VIC503
VIC608& VIC503

Tutorial problems: Review

Important Notes
1. All required course submissions will be assessed on technical/academic merit and the quality of
communication skills exhibited.
2. All assignments and lab/tutorial reports must include the standard cover page, completed electronically
and printed from the Department of Civil Engineerings website at www.ryerson.ca/civil. The cover
page must be signed by the student(s) prior to submission of the work. Submissions without cover
pages will not be accepted.
3.

Medical Certificates If a student is going to miss a deadline for an assignment, a test or an

examination because of illness, he/she must submit a medical certificate (see
www.ryerson.ca/senate/forms/medical.pdf for the certificate) AND an Academic Consideration form
http://www.ryerson.ca/content/dam/senate/forms/academic_consideration_document_submission.pdf
within 3 working days of the missed assignment deadline, test or examination. You submit your
medical note to the Department of Civil Engineering in Room MON-221.
Religious Observance If a student needs accommodation because of religious observance, he or she
must submit a Request for Accommodation of Student Religious, Aboriginal and Spiritual Observance
AND an Academic Consideration form within the first 2 weeks of the class or, for a final examination,
within 2 weeks of the posting of the examination schedule. If the required absence occurs within the
first 2 weeks of classes, or the dates are not known well in advance as they are linked to other
conditions, these forms should be submitted with as much lead time as possible in advance of the
required absence. Both documents are available at

http://www.ryerson.ca/senate/forms/relobservforminstr.pdf. You must submit the completed signed

forms to your own program department.
Students with disabilities - In order to facilitate the academic success and access of students with
disabilities, these students should register with the Access Centre
http://www.ryerson.ca/studentservices/accesscentre/index.html. Before the first graded work is due,
students should also inform their instructor through an Accommodation Form for Professors that
they are registered with the Access Centre and what accommodations are required.
Student assessments should comply with the provisions of Senate Policy 159, Academic
Accomodation of Students with Disabilities.
4. Other requests for Academic Consideration which are not related to medical illness or religious
observation must be submitted in writing together with the Academic Consideration form to the
students program office. Your letter must clearly state the reasons for the request and describe the
events or circumstances that seriously impair your ability to meet your academic obligations, and that
were beyond your control. When possible, supporting documentation must be attached to the letter.
The office will notify the instructor when they have received the request.
5. Submission of the Academic Consideration form and all supporting documentation to your program
office does not relieve you of the responsibility to NOTIFY YOUR INSTRUCTOR of the problem
as soon as it arises, and to contact with the instructor again after the documents have been submitted
in order to make the appropriate arrangements.
Students are required to inform their instructors of any situation which arises during the semester
which may have an adverse effect upon their academic performance, and must request any
considerations and accommodations according to the relevant policies and well in advance. Failure to
do so will jeopardize any academic appeals.
6. If you do not have a justifiable reason for an absence and/or have not followed the procedure
described above, you will not be given credit or marks for the work missed during that absence.
For more detailed information on these issues, please refer to Senate Policy 134 at (Undergraduate
Academic Consideration and Appeals) and Senate Policy 150 (Accommodation of Student Religious
Observance Obligations). Both can be found at www.ryerson.ca/senate/policies/
7. Should a student miss a test, midterm exam or equivalent, with appropriate documentation, a makeup will be scheduled as soon as possible in the same semester, and, where possible, before the last
date to drop the course. If your make up exam/test is to be written at the Ryerson University Access
Centre, you must follow the Test/Exam Booking Procedures Information as provided for students at
http://www.ryerson.ca/studentservices/accesscentre/students/testexam_booking/index.html
Where a missed mid-term, assignment or other assessment is one of only two assessments in a
course (e.g. there is one mid-term and a final), or when the assessment is worth more than 30%
of the final course grade, the provision of a make-up is required.
Where a missed mid-term, assignment or other assessment is part of a number of assessments
given throughout the term, and when it can be shown that the objective of the missed work is
assessed in some other way, then the instructor and student may agree, in writing, to distribute the
weight of the missed work to the final exam, or other assessment or group of assessments. The
redistribution of the weight of missed work may not cause the final exam or any single
assessment to be worth more than 70% of the students final grade. Where there is no agreement,
the student may consult the Chair or Director for assistance.
Where it is not possible to schedule the missed work or mid-term because, for example, it was

presented in a group, it requires that a lab studio or other set-up be recreated; the weight may be
distributed to the final exam or other assessment or group of assessments. In this case, the
redistribution of the weight of missed work should normally not cause the final exam or any
single assessment to be worth more than 70% of the students final grade. If it will, an alternate
assignment should be considered on a case by case basis.
8. Students who miss a final exam for a verifiable reasons and who cannot be given a make-up exam
prior to the submission of final course grades, will be given a grade of INC (as outlined in the
Grading Promotion and Academic Standing Policy) and a make-up exam (normally within 2 weeks
of the beginning of the next semester) that carries the same weight and measures the same
knowledge, must be scheduled.
9. Provision of a second make-up: On a case by case basis, a second make-up may be scheduled at
the discretion of the instructor. The student may be required to provide a detailed rationale
supported by appropriate documentation for consideration.
Mid-term test, assignment or assessment during the semester:
If a student misses a scheduled make-up of a mid-term, assignment or other assessment for
verifiable reasons, the grade may be distributed over other course assessments even if that makes
the grade on the final exam worth more than 70% of the final grade in the course.
If a student misses a scheduled mid-term make-up test or assignment, without a verifiable reason,
a grade of 0 may be assigned.
Final Exam: Except where there are verifiable reasons, and the student and instructor have
agreed to a rescheduled make-up exam, students who miss a scheduled make-up of a final exam
will receive a 0 for that exam.
10. There will be no penalty for work missed for a justifiable reason. Students need to inform the
instructor of any situation that arises during the semester that may have an adverse affect on
their academic performance, and request any necessary considerations according to the policies
and well in advance. Failure to do so will jeopardize any academic appeals.
11. Some graded course work wherever possible will be returned to students before the deadline date for
dropping an undergraduate course without academic penalty which is Friday, March 27, 2015.
All grades on assignments or tests must be posted or made available to students through the return
of their work. Grades on final exams will be posted by on Blackboard. When grades are posted in
hard copy, they must be posted by numerically sorted student identification number after at least first
four digits have been removed. Students who wish not to have their grades posted in hard copy must
inform the instructor in writing prior to the due date of the first assignment.
Students will receive their Final Official Course Grades from the Registrar ONLY on RAMSS.
12. Regrading or Recalculation These requests must be made to the instructor within 10 working
days of the return of the graded assignment to the class. These are not grounds for appeal, but are
matters for discussion between the student and the instructor. A student may request a formal regrade
from the department chair/director. The rules can be found in Policy 134. The grade may go up down
or remain the same, and is not to be subsequently appealed. The revised grade cannot be
subsequently appealed.

13. Ryersons Email Policy http://www.ryerson.ca/senate/policies/pol157.pdf clearly states that only

Ryerson e-mail accounts are to be used for communication with students. All students, including
continuing education students, must have access to Ryerson email through their my.ryerson.ca site,
and this is the official way in which they receive communication. They are required to register for and
maintain this account.
14 . Students are required to adhere to all relevant Ryerson University policies including:
Undergraduate Grading, Promotion and Academic Standing, http://www.ryerson.ca/senate/policies/pol46.pdf
Student Code of Academic Conduct, http://www.ryerson.ca/senate/policies/pol60.pdf
Student Code of Non-Academic Conduct, http://www.ryerson.ca/senate/policies/pol61.pdf
Undergraduate Academic Consideration and Appeals, http://www.ryerson.ca/senate/policies/pol134.pdf
Examination Policy, http://www.ryerson.ca/senate/policies/pol135.pdf
Accom.of Student Relig., Abor. and Spir. Observance, http://www.ryerson.ca/senate/policies/pol150.pdf
Academic Accomodation of Students With Disabilities, http://www.ryerson.ca/senate/policies/pol159.pdf
Est.of Stud. Email Accts for Official Univ. Commun., http://www.ryerson.ca/senate/policies/pol157.pdf

15. Possession of materials or devices not explicitly allowed by the instructor during an exam, test or quiz
is prohibited. Examples of such materials or devices include, but are not limited to, cell phones or
smart phones. In addition, you must have your Ryerson ID card with you when you write your exam.
Another form of photo ID is acceptable BUT please be reminded to get your Ryerson ID card as soon
as possible.
Please refer to the Examination Policy, http://www.ryerson.ca/senate/policies/pol135.pdf for further
details.

16. Academic Integrity and Plagiarism

Ryersons Policy 60 (the Student Code of Academic Conduct) applies to all students at the University.
The policy and its procedures are triggered in the event that the there is a suspicion that a student has
engaged in a form of academic misconduct.
For full policy details see: www.ryerson.ca/senate/policies/pol60.pdf and the Academic Integrity
website: http://www.ryerson.ca/academicintegrity/
Forms of academic misconduct include plagiarism, cheating, supplying false information to the
University, and other acts. The most common form of academic misconduct is plagiarism. Plagiarism is
a serious academic offence and penalties can be severe. In any academic exercise, plagiarism occurs
when one offers as ones own work the words, data, ideas, arguments, calculations, designs or
productions of another without appropriate attribution or when one allows ones work to be copied.
All academic work must be submitted using the citation style approved by the instructor. The most
common citation style is APA. Students may refer to the Ryerson Library for APA style guide
references: http://library.ryerson.ca/guides/toolbox/style/
It is assumed that all examinations and work submitted for evaluation and course credit will be the
product of individual effort, except in the case of group projects arranged for and approved by the
course instructor. Submitting the same work to more than one course, without instructor approval,
is also considered a form of plagiarism.

Students are advised that suspicions of academic misconduct may be referred to the Academic Integrity
Office (AIO). Students who are charged with academic misconduct will have a Disciplinary Notation
(DN) placed on their academic record (not on their transcript) and will be assigned one or more of the
following penalties:

A grade reduction for the plagiarized work

A zero for the plagiarized work
An F in the course
More serious penalties up to and including expulsion from the University

The minimum penalty for academic misconduct on any assignment or other form of evaluation assigned
by the instructor is a grade reduction, as appropriate. A mark of zero (0) on the work falls within the
category of grade reduction. As a consequence of any determination of academic misconduct, a DN will
be placed on the students academic record.
For more detailed information on these issues, please refer to the full online text for the Student Code of
Academic Conduct at http://www.ryerson.ca/senate/policies/pol60-F2014.pdf and the Academic Integrity
Website at www.ryerson.ca/ai.
Appeals process: Please see the policy for details on the Appeal process:
http://www.ryerson.ca/senate/policies/pol134.pdf
Important Resources Available at Ryerson
Use the services of the University when you are having problems writing, editing or researching papers,
or when you need help with course material:
o The Library (LIB 2nd floor) provides research workshops and individual assistance.
Inquire at the Reference Desk or at www.ryerson.ca/library/info/workshops.html
o The Writing Centre (LIB 272- B) offers one-on-one tutorial help with writing and
workshops www.ryerson.ca/writingcentre/workshops.htm
o Learning Success (VIC B-15) offers individual sessions and workshops covering
various aspects of researching, writing, and studying. You must book these directly
through their website http://www.ryerson.ca/studentservices/learningsuccess/
o English Language Support (VIC B-17) offers workshops to improve overall
communication skills www.ryerson.ca/studentservices/els/
There is one general site where you may see and register for all of the workshops offered by
all of these areas: http://www.ryerson.ca/academicintegrity/workshops.html
17. Any changes in the course outline, test/midterm exam dates, marking or evaluation will be discussed
in class prior to being implemented.

Approved by _______________________________
Associate Chair, Program Director
or Department Chair

Date ________________________________