Engineering Site Characterisation (CVEN90044)

AIMS

Characterisation of sites is an important step in any engineering study or design. In order to devise a design for an engineering project a range of contextual factors need to be determined. These include intrinsic aspects of natural and anthropogenic history, such as geological context and former industrial use as well as it indigenous heritage. Extrinsic impacts on the site such as the risk of flood, fire, and earthquake also need to be well understood. Finally the relationship with the surrounding natural and social environment needs to be characterised to ensure cross boundary effects of the project implementation of post-commissioning use do not cause unpredicted adverse impacts. This subject will examine typical technical tools for characterising a site for infrastructure development, covering a range of the above aspects that are relevant to the site and development. In doing so students will learn the skills and an approach to conduct site assessments, including the ability to select the appropriate geo-environmental tools for site investigations.

This subject is part of a trio of subjects that consider different aspects of infrastructure projects; Engineering Site Characterisation studies how to determine the character of a site for a infrastructure project, Sustainable Infrastructure Engineering examines how the project relates to the broader social, political, economic and environmental context, while Engineering Project Implementation concentrates on the operational aspects of implementing a project. Together they form the basis of further professional infrastructure engineering subjects. Students who have completed this subject will have valuable skills to gain engineering work experience.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

Geotechnical site investigations, noise evaluation and mitigation, natural disaster characterisation (fire, wind, earthquakes), introduction to surveying and levelling, in situ testing (soil), geophysical testing and fieldwork, and exposure to laboratory testing (compaction and permeability).