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Course Outlines

https://courseoutline.auckland.ac.nz/dco/course/CIVIL/702/1255

CIVIL 702 : Design of Earthquake Resistant

Foundations
Engineering
2025 Semester Two (1255) (15 POINTS)

Course Prescription
Observed behaviour of foundations during earthquakes. Site investigation and laboratory testing to estimate
values for required soil parameters. Earthquake induced foundation actions. Shallow and deep foundations
subject to earthquake excitation. Soil-foundation-structure-interaction. Force-based and displacement-based
design. Earthquake induced earth pressures on sti retaining structures. An independent foundation design
project is required.

Course Overview
Fundamentally, foundations are the interface between the ground and structures. Structural loads (e.g.,
gravity) are transferred from the structure, through the foundation, and into the underlying soils and rocks. The
ground motions generated by earthquakes are transmitted through the ground, into the foundation system, and
up into the structure.

This course expands upon the fundamentals of (1) foundation engineering and (2) structural dynamics to
facilitate the design of earthquake resistant foundations. Often in practice, the seismic performance of the
structure is treated separately from the underlying soils. However, this course explores the advanced concepts
of elastic soil-structure interaction (SSI) and non-linear soil-foundation-structure interaction (SFSI). The
consideration of SSI (and sometimes SFSI) enables the renement and robust design of earthquake resistant
foundations, whether shallow foundations (e.g., footings and raft foundations), deep foundations (e.g., driven
and bored piles), and retaining wall structures.

In Aotearoa New Zealand and other seismically active regions worldwide, concepts introduced in this course
are powerful tools in the practice of Geotechnical and Structural Earthquake Engineering, enabling robust
foundation design through tempered engineering judgment.

The course is technically challenging and entirely delivered via the University of Auckland Online platform.
Successful students are independent learners who fully engage with the course content, course book, and
other material.

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All calculations for assignments and design projects may require using computational tools, such as Mathcad,
MATLAB, and Python.

Note: This course is oered in an online format via University of Auckland Online in Semester Two 2025. There is
no on-campus option for 2025.

Course Requirements
Prerequisite: CIVIL 301, STRCTENG 300 or 304

Capabilities Developed in this Course

Capability 3: Knowledge and Practice
Capability 4: Critical Thinking
Capability 5: Solution Seeking
Capability 6: Communication
Capability 7: Collaboration

Graduate Profile: Master of Engineering Studies

Learning Outcomes
By the end of this course, students will be able to:
1. Demonstrate a familiarity with foundation engineering terminology and understand how the principles of
geomechanics are applied in the design of foundations to resist earthquakes (Capability 3.1, 3.2, 4.1, 4.2
and 5.1)
2. Appreciate how foundation design and structural design are linked activities (Capability 3.1, 3.2, 4.1 and
7.1)
3. Develop a deepening appreciation of geomechanics as a coherent body of knowledge and how it relates to
the wider field of civil engineering (Capability 3.1, 3.2, 4.1, 4.2 and 5.1)
4. Learn about foundation behaviour through assignments and tutorial examples. (Capability 3.1, 3.2, 4.1, 4.2
and 5.1)
5. Design foundations for earthquake resistant structures. (Capability 3.1, 3.2, 4.1, 4.2, 5.1, 6.1 and 7.1)
6 . Use computer based computational tools (e.g., Mathcad, MATLAB, python) for undertaking design
calculations. (Capability 3.1, 3.2, 4.1, 4.2 and 5.1)

Assessments
Assessment Type Percentage Classification
Assignments 20% Individual Coursework
Projects 30% Group Coursework
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Final Exam 50% Individual Examination
3 types 100%

Assessment Type Learning Outcome Addressed

1 2 3 4 5 6
Assignments      

Projects      

Final Exam    
A passing mark, comprising the sum of all assessment types, is 50% or higher, according to University policy. In
addition, a minimum of 40% is required in the exam to pass the course.

Students must sit the exam to pass the course. Otherwise, a DNS (did not sit) result will be returned.

Late submissions will not be accepted/allowed for the exam. It is possible to submit late for assignments and
projects, and the late submission penalty schedule will be included in the assignment and project handouts.

Workload Expectations
This course is a standard 15 point course and students are expected to spend 10 hours per week involved in
each 15 point course that they are enrolled in.
For this course, you can expect 36 hours of lectures/tutorials, 34 hours of reading and thinking about the
content and 80 hours of work on assignments and/or test preparation (total of 150 hours).

Delivery Mode
Online
Attendance is encourage at scheduled online activities including tutorials to complete components of the
course.

The course may include live online events including group discussions/tutorials and these will be recorded.

Attendance on campus is not required for the exam.

Where possible, study material will be released progressively throughout the course.

This course runs to the University semester/quarter timetable and all the associated completion dates and
deadlines will apply.

Learning Resources
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Course materials are made available in a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas which also includes
reading lists and lecture recordings (where available).

Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.

A coursebook is available for the course, this is the main teaching resource, it is available on Canvas. In
addition a small collection of conference papers on aspects of foundation engineering are suggested for
supplementary reading.

The following books will be useful supplementary references for the course:
Fleming, W. G. K., Weltman, A. J., Randolf, M. F. & Elson, W. K. “Piling Engineering”,
2nd edition, E&F N Spon 1992, (Call number: TA780 .P494 1985).
Salgado, R. “The engineering of foundations”. McGraw-Hill, 2008. (Call number: TA775 .S2374 2008)
Kramer, S. L. “Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering”, Prentice Hall, 1996, (Call number: TA654.6 .K72 1996)
Tohata, I “Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering”, Springer, 2008, (Call number: TA654.6 .G46 2008)
Wesley, L. D. "Fundamentals of Soil Mechanics for Sedimentary and Residual Soils". 2010. (Call number:
624.15136 W51)

Health & Safety

Students must ensure they are familiar with their Health and Safety responsibilities, as described in the
university's Health and Safety policy.

Student Feedback
At the end of every semester students will be invited to give feedback on the course and teaching through a
tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback and respond with
summaries and actions.

Your feedback helps teachers to improve the course and its delivery for future students.
Class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the department and faculty sta-student consultative
committees.
This course is being oered as an Auckland Online course. Any feedback provided during and at the end of the
course will serve to improve the online delivery.

Academic Integrity
The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in
coursework, tests and examinations as a serious academic oence. The work that a student submits for grading
must be the student's own work, reecting their learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be
properly acknowledged and referenced. A student's assessed work may be reviewed against electronic source
material using computerised detection mechanisms. Upon reasonable request, students may be required to
provide an electronic version of their work for computerised review.

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Class Representatives
Class representatives are students tasked with representing student issues to departments, faculties, and the
wider university. If you have a complaint about this course, please contact your class rep who will know how to
raise it in the right channels. See your departmental noticeboard for contact details for your class reps.

Inclusive Learning
All students are asked to discuss any impairment related requirements privately, face to face and/or in written
form with the course coordinator, lecturer or tutor.

Student Disability Services also provides support for students with a wide range of impairments, both visible
and invisible, to succeed and excel at the University. For more information and contact details, please visit the
Student Disability Services’ website http://disability.auckland.ac.nz

Special Circumstances
If your ability to complete assessed coursework is aected by illness or other personal circumstances outside
of your control, contact a member of teaching staff as soon as possible before the assessment is due.

If your personal circumstances signicantly aect your performance, or preparation, for an exam or eligible
written test, refer to the University’s aegrotat or compassionate consideration page
https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/academic-information/exams-and-final-results/during-
exams/aegrotat-and-compassionate-consideration.html.
This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.

Learning Continuity
In the event of an unexpected disruption we undertake to maintain the continuity and standard of teaching and
learning in all your courses throughout the year. If there are unexpected disruptions the University has
contingency plans to ensure that access to your course continues and your assessment is fair, and not
compromised. Some adjustments may need to be made in emergencies. You will be kept fully informed by your
course co-ordinator, and if disruption occurs you should refer to the University Website for information about
how to proceed.

Student Charter and Responsibilities

The Student Charter assumes and acknowledges that students are active participants in the learning process
and that they have responsibilities to the institution and the international community of scholars. The
University expects that students will act at all times in a way that demonstrates respect for the rights of other
students and sta so that the learning environment is both safe and productive. For further information visit
Student Charter https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/forms-policies-and-guidelines/student-policies-
and-guidelines/student-charter.html.

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Disclaimer
Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about the course will be available for
enrolled students in Canvas.

In this course you may be asked to submit your coursework assessments digitally. The University reserves the
right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations for this course online or through the use of computers or
other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements
may be used. The nal decision on the completion mode for a test or examination, and remote invigilation
arrangements where applicable, will be advised to students at least 10 days prior to the scheduled date of the
assessment, or in the case of an examination when the examination timetable is published.

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