2021 Faculty Courses School of Environment and Society Undergraduate major in Civil and Environmental Engineering
Foundation Engineering
- Academic unit or major
- Undergraduate major in Civil and Environmental Engineering
- Instructor(s)
- Akihiro Takahashi
- Class Format
- Lecture
- Media-enhanced courses
- -
- Day of week/Period
(Classrooms) - 5-6 Tue (M111) / 5-6 Fri (M111)
- Class
- -
- Course Code
- CVE.C310
- Number of credits
- 200
- Course offered
- 2021
- Offered quarter
- 2Q
- Syllabus updated
- Jul 10, 2025
- Language
- Japanese
Syllabus
Course overview and goals
Based on knowledge of soil mechanics, this course focuses on theories behind practical design of geotechnical structures and design concept of geotechnical structure, in particular,
1. how to assess stability of geotechnical structure considering reliability of various factors,
2. how to calculate stability of geotechnical structures using classic limit analysis, and
3. how to calculate stability of slope, shallow foundation and retaining structure.
Course description and aims
Students are expected to understand theories behind practical design of geotechnical structures and design concept of geotechnical structure, in particular,
1. how to assess stability of geotechnical structure considering reliability of various factors,
2. how to calculate stability of geotechnical structures using classic limit analysis, and
3. how to calculate stability of slope, shallow foundation and retaining structure.
Keywords
Limit equilibrium method, Limit analsysis, slope stability, bearing capacity, earth pressure, geotechnical structures
Competencies
- Specialist skills
- Intercultural skills
- Communication skills
- Critical thinking skills
- Practical and/or problem-solving skills
Class flow
Mainly lectures. Regularly assignments are given and their review is made in the class.
Course schedule/Objectives
| Course schedule | Objectives | |
|---|---|---|
| Class 1 | Introduction / Assessment of geotechnical structures stability considering reliability of various factors | To understand design concept of geotechnical structures / To understand how to assess stability of geotechnical structures |
| Class 2 | Modelling of geotechnical structures / Limit equilibrium method | To understand modelling of geotechnical structures / To understand limit equilibrium method |
| Class 3 | Exercise on application of limit equilibrium method to slope stability problem | To understand limit equilibrium method |
| Class 4 | Fundamentals of limit analysis | To understand upper/lower bound theorems, kinemetically and plastically admissible velocity field and statically and plastically admissible stress field |
| Class 5 | Fundamentals of limit analysis (classic method) | To understand classic limit analysis method |
| Class 6 | Exercise on application of limit analysis to slope stability problem | To understand slope stability assessment by limit analysis |
| Class 7 | Bearing capacity | To understand bearing capacity |
| Class 8 | Exercise on bearing capacity by limit analysis | To understand how to estimate bearing capacity by limit analysis |
| Class 9 | Shallow foundation | To understand shallow foundation |
| Class 10 | Exercise on design calculation of shallow foundation | To understand design calculation of shallow foundation |
| Class 11 | Earth pressures and retaining structures | To understand earth pressures and retaining structures |
| Class 12 | Exercise on design calculation of retaining structures | To understand design calculation of retaining structures |
| Class 13 | Geotechnical structure under seepage flow and earthquake | To understand how to assess stability of geotechnical structures under seepage flow and earthquake |
| Class 14 | Summary | Review of the topics in this course |
Study advice (preparation and review)
To enhance effective learning, students are encouraged to spend approximately 100 minutes preparing for class and another 100 minutes reviewing class content afterwards (including assignments) for each class.
They should do so by referring to textbooks and other course material.
Textbook(s)
Akihiro Takahashi (2011) Geotechnical Engineering, Corona-sha (in Japanese)
Reference books, course materials, etc.
Kenji Ishihara (2001) Soil Mechanics, 2nd ed., Maruzen (in Japanese)
Osamu Kusakabe (2004) Soil Mechanics, Corona-sha (in Japanese)
Hakuju Yamaguchi (1984) Soil Mechanics, Giho-do (in Japanese)
Evaluation methods and criteria
Assignment (20%) and final exam (80%) => Assignment (100%) for 2021
Related courses
- CVE.C201 ： Soil Mechanics I
- CVE.C202 ： Soil Mechanics II
- CVE.N231 ： Concrete and Geotechnical Engineering Laboratory I
- CVE.N331 ： Concrete and Geotechnical Engineering Laboratory II
- CVE.C311 ： Geotechnical Engineering in Practice
- CVE.C401 ： Mechanics of Geomaterials
- CVE.C402 ： Stability Problems in Geotechnical Engineering
- CVE.C403 ： Geo-environmental Engineering
- CVE.C431 ： Physical Modeling in Geotechnics
Prerequisites
No prerequisites are necessary, but enrollment in the related courses is desirable.