Course overview
- Study period
- Semester 2, 2024 (22/07/2024 - 18/11/2024)
- Study level
- Undergraduate
- Location
- St Lucia
- Attendance mode
- In Person
- Units
- 2
- Administrative campus
- St Lucia
- Coordinating unit
- Civil Engineering School
Dams are important civil engineering structures that require geotechnical design, construction and maintenance to satisfy stability and sustainability. Worldwide dam construction activities have accelerated and more dams are in planning for the coming decades. Dams are an important measure to provide solutions to two big societal challenges worldwide, namely water supply and energy. Moreover, with the increasing likelihood of extreme weather events due to climate change, dams are playing a crucial role by acting as flood protection structures and providing drought storage. It is the responsibility of experienced geotechnical engineers to ensure that the design of the dam is able to withstand the hydraulic and mechanical loadings to be expected during the lifetime of the structure. This requires taking into account the conditions influenced by the geology of the site, the hydrology of the catchment, the meteorology of the region and all other influences affecting the safety of the dam to ensure the sustainable construction of the dam. The course introduces the fundamental concepts and methods for designing dams for various purposes ensuring the hydraulic and mechanical safety of the structure.
This year's dam engineering course will include two group assignments. The first is to analyse a historical dam failure based on literature. The second will involve designing a dam for a dam failure experiment to be conducted at our Sustainable Engineering Design Scale-Up (SEDS-Up) facility at the UQ Pinjarra Hills campus. In addition, guest lectures will be given by industry partners and academics on relevant dam engineering topics.
Course requirements
Prerequisites
You'll need to complete the following courses before enrolling in this one:
MATH1051 and MATH1052 and CIVL2210 and CIVL3210
Incompatible
You can't enrol in this course if you've already completed the following:
CIVL7225
Course contact
Lecturer
Timetable
The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.
Aims and outcomes
To introduce the concepts and methods for designing hydraulically and mechanically stable dams and flood levees.
ﾠ
Learning outcomes
After successfully completing this course you should be able to:
LO1.
Integrate the geological, hydrological and topological factors in the design of dams.
LO2.
Assess the geotechnical challenges in dam engineering and to evaluate the social, environmental and economic impact central design elements.
LO3.
Analyse the role of seepage through a dam structure and its foundations.
LO4.
Examine the effect of internal erosion on the susceptibility of materials employed in the construction of dams.
LO5.
Analyse the factors affecting the stability of dams throughout the complex timeline of hydraulic and mechanical loading of dams.
LO6.
Evaluate existing design criteria and analysis methods in dam engineering and identify scope for improvements to existing concepts.
LO7.
Assess the safety and risk of dams in a collaborative manner within a team.
Assessment
Assessment summary
| Category | Assessment task | Weight | Due date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Presentation, Reflection |
Case study on dam failure
|
20% |
21/08/2024 4:00 pm |
| Paper/ Report/ Annotation, Practical/ Demonstration, Presentation, Reflection |
Assignment on seepage and stability of dams
|
20% |
22/10/2024 4:00 pm
A video of the experiment is to be submitted as additional material to the report. |
| Examination |
Final Exam
|
60% |
End of Semester Exam Period 2/11/2024 - 16/11/2024 |
A hurdle is an assessment requirement that must be satisfied in order to receive a specific grade for the course. Check the assessment details for more information about hurdle requirements.
Assessment details
Case study on dam failure
- Team or group-based
- In-person
- Mode
- Activity/ Performance, Oral
- Category
- Presentation, Reflection
- Weight
- 20%
- Due date
21/08/2024 4:00 pm
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L06, L07
Task description
Students analyze a case study from the literature on dam failures and prepare a presentation and discussion on the dam failure. This is a group assignment in which each group is given a different case of a dam failure. The presentation and discussion will be assessed by at least two academics.
This assessment task evaluates students' abilities, skills and knowledge without the aid of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Machine Translation (MT). Students are advised that the use of AI or MT technologies to develop responses is strictly prohibited and may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Submission guidelines
The presentations with discussion are held during the tutorial.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 28 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Assignment on seepage and stability of dams
- Team or group-based
- Mode
- Product/ Artefact/ Multimedia, Written
- Category
- Paper/ Report/ Annotation, Practical/ Demonstration, Presentation, Reflection
- Weight
- 20%
- Due date
22/10/2024 4:00 pm
A video of the experiment is to be submitted as additional material to the report.
- Other conditions
- Peer assessment factor.
- Learning outcomes
- L03, L04, L05, L06, L07
Task description
Students design a dam for a dam failure test to be carried out at the Sustainable Engineering Design Scale-Up (SEDS-Up) Facility at the UQ Pinjarra Hills Campus on an agreed day. Students analyze the failure mechanisms and prepare a report on the seepage and stability conditions that led to the failure.
This assessment task evaluates students' abilities, skills and knowledge without the aid of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Machine Translation (MT). Students are advised that the use of AI or MT technologies to develop responses is strictly prohibited and may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Submission guidelines
Assessment must be submitted through the course BlackBoard site. The results will be presented with a following Q&A session.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 28 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Final Exam
- Hurdle
- Identity Verified
- In-person
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Examination
- Weight
- 60%
- Due date
End of Semester Exam Period
2/11/2024 - 16/11/2024
- Other conditions
- Time limited.
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06
Task description
The final exam will include a combination of short answer and problem solving questions.
This assessment task is to be completed in-person. The use of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Machine Translation (MT) tools will not be permitted. Any attempted use of AI or MT may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Hurdle requirements
To receive an overall grade of 4 or more, a student must achieve at least 40% on the final exam.Exam details
| Planning time | 10 minutes |
|---|---|
| Duration | 120 minutes |
| Calculator options | (In person) Casio FX82 series only or UQ approved and labelled calculator |
| Open/closed book | Open Book examination |
| Exam platform | Paper based |
| Invigilation | Invigilated in person |
Submission guidelines
Deferral or extension
You may be able to defer this exam.
Course grading
Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.
| Grade | Cut off Percent | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (Low Fail) | 0 - 19.99 |
Absence of evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Demonstrates no understanding of Dam Engineering design concepts, methods and calculations. |
| 2 (Fail) | 20 - 44.99 |
Minimal evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Demonstrates little understanding of Dam Engineering design concepts, methods and calculations. |
| 3 (Marginal Fail) | 45 - 49.99 |
Demonstrated evidence of developing achievement of course learning outcomes Course grade description: Demonstrates an inadequate understanding of Dam Engineering design concepts, methods and calculations. |
| 4 (Pass) | 50 - 64.99 |
Demonstrated evidence of functional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Demonstrates an adequate understanding of Dam Engineering design concepts, methods and calculations. |
| 5 (Credit) | 65 - 74.99 |
Demonstrated evidence of proficient achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Demonstrates a good understanding of Dam Engineering design concepts, methods and calculations. |
| 6 (Distinction) | 75 - 84.99 |
Demonstrated evidence of advanced achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Demonstrates a very good understanding of Dam Engineering design concepts, methods and calculations. |
| 7 (High Distinction) | 85 - 100 |
Demonstrated evidence of exceptional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Demonstrates an excellent understanding of Dam Engineering design concepts, methods and calculations. |
Supplementary assessment
Supplementary assessment is available for this course.
Learning resources
You'll need the following resources to successfully complete the course. We've indicated below if you need a personal copy of the reading materials or your own item.
Library resources
Find the required and recommended resources for this course on the UQ Library website.
Additional learning resources information
The teaching material required for the course consists of the presentation material as well as the teaching material for the tutorials and other relevant literature provided by the lecturer during the course.
Learning activities
The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.
Filter activity type by
Please select
| Learning period | Activity type | Topic |
|---|---|---|
Multiple weeks From Week 1 To Week 13 |
Tutorial |
Tutorial Guided solution of worked examples Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06 |
Lecture |
Lecture Series of lectures given by academics and guest lecturers Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06 |
|
Week 1 (22 Jul - 28 Jul) |
Case-based learning |
Case Study Case study of dam failure with presentation Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L06, L07 |
Policies and procedures
University policies and procedures apply to all aspects of student life. As a UQ student, you must comply with University-wide and program-specific requirements, including the:
- Student Code of Conduct Policy
- Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy and Procedure
- Assessment Procedure
- Examinations Procedure
- Reasonable Adjustments - Students Policy and Procedure
Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.
You'll also need to be aware of the following policies and procedures while completing this course:
- Laboratory Occupational Health and Safety
- Student Travel
School guidelines
Your school has additional guidelines you'll need to follow for this course: