Skip to main content
Home

Information for:

  • Alumni
  • Applicants
  • Current Students
  • Staff
  • Parents
  • Job Vacancies
  • Covid-19
  • Cymraeg
My country:

Main Menu

    • Study Options
      • Study Home
      • Why Study at Bangor?
      • Undergraduate Study
      • Postgraduate Taught Study
      • Postgraduate Research
      • Part-time Courses
      • January Start Courses
      • Degree Apprenticeships
      • Study Abroad
      • Work Experience
    • Study Advice
      • Apply
      • Already Applied?
      • Fees and Finances
      • Scholarships and Bursaries
      • Get Ready for University
    • Explore Bangor
      • Open Days and Visits
      • Virtual Student Experience

    Find a Course

    Order a Prospectus

    • Student Life
      • Student Life Home
      • Bangor and the Area
      • Social Life and Entertainment
      • Accommodation
      • Clubs and Societies
      • Sport
      • Virtual Student Experience
    • Your Experience at Bangor
      • Student Support
      • Skills and Employability
      • Study or Work Abroad
      • Fees and Finances

    Student Profiles

    Student Videos and Vlogs

    • Choose Bangor
      • International Home
      • Why Bangor?
      • Location
      • Accommodation
      • Student Support
      • Contact Us
    • Apply
      • Entry Requirements
      • Tuition Fees and Scholarships
      • How to Apply
      • Already Applied
      • Study Abroad
      • Exchanges

    Country Specific Information

    Join us on a Virtual Open Day

    Bangor University International College

    Covid-19 Information

    • Research
      • Research Home
      • About Our Research
      • Research in our Academic Schools
      • Research Institutes and Centres
      • Research Portal
      • Research, Innovation and Impact Office (RIIO)
      • Energy
      • Research News
    • Postgraduate Research Opportunities
      • Postgraduate Research
      • Doctoral School
    • Events and Training Opportunities
      • Researcher Development
    • The University
      • About Us
      • Our Mission
      • Strategy 2030
      • Annual Review
      • Our Location
      • Academic Schools and Colleges
      • Services and Facilities
      • Vice Chancellor’s Office
      • Working with Business
      • Working with the Community
      • Sustainability
      • Health and Wellbeing
      • Contact Us
    • Working for Us
      • Job Vacancies
    • University Management and Governance
      • Policies and Procedures
      • Slavery and Human Trafficking Statement
      • Management and Governance
    • University and the Community
      • Pontio
      • Sports Facilities
      • Conference Facilities
      • Places to Eat and Drink
      • Public Events
      • Widening Access
      • Services to Schools
    • Business Services
      • Business Services Home
    • Collaboration Hub
      • Collaboration Hub
      • Funding for Collaborative Research and Development (R&D) & Innovation
      • Business Facilities and Networks
      • Consultancy, Specialist Expertise and Knowledge
      • Commercialisation and Intellectual Property (IP)
      • Student Placements and Internships in Business & Enterprise
      • Training and Continuing Professional Development
      • Degree Apprenticeships
    • Conferencing and Business Dining
      • Conferencing Facilities
      • Business Dining
    • Contacts
      • Research, Innovation and Impact Office (RIIO)
      • Get In Touch
    • News
      • Current News
      • Research News
      • Student News
    • Events
      • Events

    • Study Options
      • Study Home
      • Why Study at Bangor?
      • Undergraduate Study
      • Postgraduate Taught Study
      • Postgraduate Research
      • Part-time Courses
      • January Start Courses
      • Degree Apprenticeships
      • Study Abroad
      • Work Experience
    • Study Advice
      • Apply
      • Already Applied?
      • Fees and Finances
      • Scholarships and Bursaries
      • Get Ready for University
    • Explore Bangor
      • Virtual Open Days and Visits
      • Virtual Student Experience

    Find a Course

    Order a Prospectus

    • Student Life
      • Student Life Home
      • Bangor and the Area
      • Social Life and Entertainment
      • Accommodation
      • Clubs and Societies
      • Sport
      • Virtual Student Experience
    • Your Experience at Bangor
      • Student Support
      • Skills and Employability
      • Study or Work Abroad
      • Fees and Finances

    Student Profiles

    Student Videos and Vlogs

    • Choose Bangor
      • International Home
      • Why Bangor?
      • Location
      • Student Support
      • Contact Us
    • Apply
      • Entry Requirements
      • Tuition Fees and Scholarships
      • How to Apply
      • Already Applied
      • Study Abroad
      • Exchanges

    Country Specific Information

    Join us on a Virtual Open Day

    Bangor University International College

    Covid-19 Information

    • Research
      • Research Home
      • About Our Research
      • Research in our Academic Schools
      • Research Institutes and Centres
      • Research Portal
      • Research, Innovation and Impact Office (RIIO)
      • Energy
      • Research News
    • Postgraduate Research Opportunities
      • Postgraduate Research
      • Doctoral School
    • Events and Training Opportunities
      • Researcher Development
    • The University
      • About Us
      • Our Mission
      • Strategy 2030
      • Annual Review
      • Our Location
      • Academic Schools and Colleges
      • Services and Facilities
      • Vice Chancellor’s Office
      • Working with Business
      • Working with the Community
      • Sustainability
      • Health and Wellbeing
      • Contact Us
    • Working for Us
      • Job Vacancies
    • University Management and Governance
      • Policies and Procedures
      • Slavery and Human Trafficking Statement
      • Management and Governance
    • University and the Community
      • Pontio
      • Sports Facilities
      • Conference Facilities
      • Places to Eat and Drink
      • Public Events
      • Widening Access
      • Services to Schools
    • Business Services
      • Business Services Home
    • Collaboration Hub
      • Collaboration Hub
      • Funding for Collaborative Research and Development (R&D) & Innovation
      • Business Facilities and Networks
      • Consultancy, Specialist Expertise and Knowledge
      • Commercialisation and Intellectual Property (IP)
      • Student Placements and Internships in Business & Enterprise
      • Training and Continuing Professional Development
      • Degree Apprenticeships
    • Conferencing and Business Dining
      • Conferencing Facilities
      • Business Dining
    • Contacts
      • Research, Innovation and Impact Office (RIIO)
      • Get In Touch
    • News
      • Current News
      • Research News
      • Student News
    • Events
      • Events

Information for:

  • Alumni
  • Applicants
  • Current Students
  • Staff
  • Parents
  • Job Vacancies
  • Covid-19
My country:

Search

Close

Breadcrumb

  • Cymraeg

Share this page:
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn

Apply Now

Find out how to apply

Register your interest in postgraduate study

More...

Postgraduate Fair

Find out more

Postgraduate Tuition Fees

View our full tuition fees information

Module OSX-4021:
Sediment Geotechnics

Module Facts

Run by School of Ocean Sciences

20.000 Credits or 10.000 ECTS Credits

Semester 2

Organiser: Dr Dei Huws

Overall aims and purpose

This module concerns itself with the physical properties of soils and sediments; in particular within the context of shallow engineering and environmental applications.

The module will start with the basic physical (or index) properties of a soil and explain how soils may be classified. This is followed by an explanation of effective stress, a key concept in soil mechanics. It will be apparent then, how important water is in determining soil behaviour and for that reason, ideas relating to permeability, hydraulic gradients, potential and flow nets will be presented. The flow of water within soils also plays a key role in controlling soil settlement or consolidation, and so this topic is also a part of the syllabus. Finally, concepts relating to shear strength are introduced.

Because measured soil parameters are often highly influenced by the test protocol and procedure, it is very important that an appreciation of test methods is gained. Therefore, a key element in this module is the laboratory testing programme which runs concurrently with the lecture series. Students will be introduced and allowed to perform most of the `British Standard' procedures, including index property, consolidation and strength tests.

Course content

In list form, the syllabus can be summarised thus:

  1. Index properties and classification schemes

  2. Pore pressure, total stress and effective stress

  3. Permeability, critical hydraulic gradient, potential, flow net solutions

  4. 1-D consolidation

  5. Shear strength

The practical element will typically include the measurement of:

moisture content, specific gravity, particle size distribution, pore water salinity, density, organic matter content, carbonate content, Atterberg limits, consolidation properties, undrained shear strength

Learning outcomes mapped to assessment criteria

  threshold

Partial understanding of basic theoretical principles of sediment geotechnics (within the scope of the curriculum, learning outcomes and skills outlined here) Basic ability to solve numerical problems associated geotechnical investigation Basic ability to acquire, process, interpret and present geotechnical data

Upon successful completion of this module, the student should be aware of and be familiar with the various classification schemes available for describing soils or sediments

Upon successful completion of this module, the student should be able to manipulate geotechnical data in order to interpret laboratory data and solve numerical problems based on field applications.

Upon successful completion of this module, the student should understand how geotechnical properties control the response of soil to load

Upon successful completion of this module, the student should be able to show an appreciation of the role of pore fluid and pore fluid pressure on soil behaviour

Upon successful completion of this module, the student should be able to conduct a range of geotechnical laboratory tests within the framework of British Standards protocols so as to quantify and classify the soil on the basis of the results

Assessment Methods

Type Name Description Weight
OSX4021 Examination 50.00
Exercise Sheet - 15 questions 20.00
Index Properties of a Marine Sediment Practical Analysis 30.00

Teaching and Learning Strategy

Hours
Laboratory

Laboratory testing sessions

12
Lecture 30
Private study

Ostensibly the time allocated to learn the course material and prepare the assessments.

158

Transferable skills

  • Numeracy - Proficiency in using numbers at appropriate levels of accuracy
  • Self-Management - Able to work unsupervised in an efficient, punctual and structured manner. To examine the outcomes of tasks and events, and judge levels of quality and importance
  • Exploring - Able to investigate, research and consider alternatives
  • Information retrieval - Able to access different and multiple sources of information
  • Inter-personal - Able to question, actively listen, examine given answers and interact sentistevely with others
  • Critical analysis & Problem Solving - Able to deconstruct and analyse problems or complex situations. To find solutions to problems through analyses and exploration of all possibilities using appropriate methods, rescources and creativity.
  • Safety-Consciousness - Having an awareness of your immediate environment, and confidence in adhering to health and safety regulations
  • Presentation - Able to clearly present information and explanations to an audience. Through the written or oral mode of communication accurately and concisely.
  • Teamwork - Able to constructively cooperate with others on a common task, and/or be part of a day-to-day working team

Resources

Talis Reading list

http://readinglists.bangor.ac.uk/modules/osx-4021.html

Courses including this module

Compulsory in courses:

  • F7AT: MSc Applied Marine Geoscience year 1 (MSC/APMGSCI)
  • F652: MSci Geological Oceanography year 4 (MSCI/GO)

Optional in courses:

  • F801: MGeog Geography year 4 (MGEOG/G)
  • F805: MGeog Geography with International Experience year 5 (MGEOG/GIE)

Home

Study

  • Postgraduate Taught Study
Home

Follow Us

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Youtube
  • LinkedIn

Bangor University

Bangor, Gwynedd, LL57 2DG, UK

+44 (0)1248 351151

Contact Us

Visit Us

Maps & Directions

Policy

  • Legal Compliance
  • Modern Slavery Act 2015 Statement
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Privacy and Cookies
  • Welsh Language Policy
Map

Bangor University is a Registered Charity: No. 1141565

© 2020 Bangor University