2025 (Current Year) Faculty Courses School of Environment and Society Undergraduate major in Civil and Environmental Engineering
Geotechnical Engineering in Practice
- Academic unit or major
- Undergraduate major in Civil and Environmental Engineering
- Instructor(s)
- Akihiro Takahashi / Mai Sawada
- Class Format
- Lecture
- Media-enhanced courses
- -
- Day of week/Period
(Classrooms) - Class
- -
- Course Code
- CVE.C311
- Number of credits
- 200
- Course offered
- 2025
- Offered quarter
- 4Q
- Syllabus updated
- Mar 19, 2025
- Language
- Japanese
Syllabus
Course overview and goals
Under various geological processes, the ground has been formed with complex layers comprising various soil types with different properties. Almost all structures on the Earth are constructed on or in the ground, and therefore the geological conditions in construction sites are critical in the plan, detailed design, construction, and even maintenance of the structure. This course focuses on the following points from geological and geotechnical engineering perspectives:
1) Geological and geotechnical investigations to obtain the geological conditions and geotechnical properties
2) Construction technology used in various types of geotechnical projects.
3) Case studies of the construction projects.
Course description and aims
The students in the course acquire the fundamental knowledge of geology, which is crucial in geological and geotechnical investigations, and the interpretation and application of the investigated results to the design, construction and maintenance of civil engineering structures. The students also learn construction technologies for various geotechnical structures and disaster prevention.
Keywords
applied engineering geology, geological map, geotechnical investigations and construction, tunnelling, disaster prevention facilities, dams
Competencies
- Specialist skills
- Intercultural skills
- Communication skills
- Critical thinking skills
- Practical and/or problem-solving skills
Class flow
Lectures are given on each topic and a short quiz is conducted at the end of each lecture.
Via a site visit, the students learn the links between theory and practice.
Course schedule/Objectives
| Course schedule | Objectives | |
|---|---|---|
| Class 1 | Introduction: roles of geotechnical investigations in civil engineering projects | Confirmation of the importance of geological information in civil engineering projects |
| Class 2 | Links between civil engineering and geology | Understanding the necessity of geological information in civil engineering projects and geological processes at the global level |
| Class 3 | Minerals, Rocks and Geological Processes | Understanding mineralogy, rock types, geological processes contributing ground formation |
| Class 4 | Geological structure and application of geological map | Understanding various features of geological structures, interpretation and application of geological maps for engineering purposes |
| Class 5 | Application of topological maps and its interpretation | Understanding topology due to geological processes, interpretation and application of topological maps for engineering |
| Class 6 | Engineering application of geological information and geological risks | Learning ground and rock mass classifications and their importance in civil engineering |
| Class 7 | Geotechnical investigations and foundation construction | Understanding various types of foundations and geological requirements |
| Class 8 | Dams, embankments and slope stability | Understanding dam construction methods and investigation/reinforcement methods for improving slope stability |
| Class 9 | Excavation and tunnelling | Understanding investigation and construction methods for excavation and tunnelling |
| Class 10 | Earthquake disaster prevention technology | Understanding investigation methods for earthquake disaster prevention and countermeasures |
| Class 11 | Exercise and observation | Exercise on topological maps and fault observation |
| Class 12 | Site visit | Visiting a construction site |
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)
Nothing
Reference books, course materials, etc.
Handouts will be uploaded to LMS or distributed in the class
Evaluation methods and criteria
Short tests at the end of each class (50%),
Reports (50%)
Related courses
- CVE.C201 ： Soil Mechanics I
- CVE.C202 ： Soil Mechanics II
- CVE.C401 ： Mechanics of Geomaterials
- CVE.C402 ： Stability Problems in Geotechnical Engineering
- CVE.C432 ： Rock Engineering
- CVE.C431 ： Physical Modeling in Geotechnics
Prerequisites
Knowledge of Earth Science, Geology, Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering
Interests in infrastructure construction and disaster prevention