565.680.81 - Marine Geotechnical Engineering

Course Structure

The course materials are divided into modules which can be accessed by clicking Course Modules on the course menu. A module will have several sections including the overview, content, readings, discussions, and assignments. You are encouraged to preview all sections of the module before starting. Most modules run for a period of seven (7) days, exceptions are noted on the Course Outline page. You should regularly check the Calendar and Announcements for assignment due dates.

Course Topics

• Nature of marine sediments
• Soil behavior due to cyclic loading
• Marine geotechnical investigations
• Shallow foundations and dead-weight anchors
• Pile foundations and anchors
• Penetration of objects on the seafloor
• Breakout of objects on the seafloor
  
• Project planning

Course Goals

The primary goal of this course is to provide students with the technical expertise necessary to design marine geotechnical foundations using the Navy’s Handbook for Marine Geotechnical Engineering.  While this course will primarily focus on marine foundations, a review of soil mechanics topics will be covered including soil classification, index property tests, engineering property tests, and property correlations. With a strong understanding in the fundamentals in the design of shallow foundations/deadweight anchors, pile foundations/anchors, direct-embedment anchors, drag-embedment anchors, students will be able to apply those fundamentals to the design and analysis of marine foundations and anchoring systems.

Course Learning Outcomes (CLOs)

• To have a basic understanding of soil mechanics including strength properties, consolidation/settlement, flow of water, etc.
• To be able to classify a soil using USCS and AASHTO classification systems.
• To analyze/design foundations for the marine environment including shallow foundations, deep foundations, anchors (deep or shallow), and other marine structures.
• To incorporate computer analysis in design optimization and present findings in a design report.
• To determine both the penetration and breakout of objects on the seafloor.

Textbooks

SP-22090OCN: Handbook for Marine Geotechnical Engineering, NAVFAC, Technical Editors: David Thompson and Diane Jarrah Beasley, 2012.

(https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/pdfs/ADA556807.pdf – open access)

Required Software

You will need access to a recent version of Microsoft Office (WORD and EXCEL).

Student Coursework Requirements

This course will consist of four basic student requirements:

1. Assignments (25% of Final Grade Calculation)

Homework will be assigned throughout the semester. They will be graded based solely on effort; however, any assigned work that is late will have the grade reduced for lateness.  All homework must be your own work; plagiarism is prohibited.

Assignments are graded as follows:

√+ Effort demonstrated on ALL HW problems (100%)

√ Effort demonstrated on some HW problems (75%)

0 Minimal or no effort shown on HW problems (0%)

2. Team Projects (25% of Final Grade Calculation)

Two team projects will be assigned. Students will work in teams of two unless otherwise specified. The Shallow Foundation Project is due the week of Module 10 and the Deep Foundation Project is due the week of Module 12. Grading rubrics will used by instructor and will be included in the project assignments. All submitted projects must be your own work; plagiarism is prohibited.

3. Quizzes (50% of Final Grade Calculation)

There will be five graded quizzes to assess students’ achievement of learning objectives in modules 1-3, 4-6, 7-8, 9-11, and 12-14. The quizzes will be available in Modules 4, 7, 9, 12 and 14. You will have typically one week to complete the quiz. You may use the course material from the current semester to complete the quizzes.

4. Preparation and Participation (Module Discussions) (not graded – participation only)

Four discussion activities will be assigned in Modules 1, 5, 7, and 13 where students will be required to participate in asynchronous discussion on topics related to the module learning objectives.

Post your initial response to the discussion questions by Day 3 for that module week.  In addition to your initial response, you are required to respond to at least two other posts. These follow-up posts must be completed by Day 7.

Be detailed in your postings and in your responses to your classmates' postings. I will monitor module discussions and will respond to some of the discussions as they are posted.

All discussion activities are counted as part of your participation. No initial response and/or no responses to classmates’ posting will result in an incomplete grade.

Grading Policy

Letter grades will be assigned based on the numerical course average according to the scale below. For averages which fall between grades (e.g. 89.5%), I reserve the right to round up or down based on overall student effort, participation, and performance. The student will drop one grade (e.g. from A- to B+) if the participation grade for the module discussions is below a 70%.

EP uses a +/- grading system (see “Grading System”, Graduate Programs catalog, p. 10).

Score Range	Letter Grade
100-97	= A+
96-93	= A
92-90	= A−
89-87	= B+
86-83	= B
82-80	= B−
79-77	= C+
76-73	= C
72-70	= C−
69-67	= D+
66-63	= D
<63	= F

Final grades will be determined by the following weighting:

Item	% of Grade
Assignments	25%
Team Projects	25%
Quizzes	50%

Course Policies

All work including homework, quizzes, and projects should be individual efforts unless allowed by the instructor. No course materials from previous semesters may be used. Please refer to the Academic Misconduct Policy below. 

Academic Policies

Deadlines for Adding, Dropping, and Withdrawing from Courses

Students may add a course up to one week after the start of the term for that particular course. Students may drop courses according to the drop deadlines outlined in the EP academic calendar. Between the 6th week of the class and prior to the final withdrawal deadline, a student may withdraw from a course with a W on their academic record. A record of the course will remain on the academic record with a W appearing in the grade column to indicate that the student registered and withdrew from the course. 

Academic Misconduct Policy

All students are required to read, know, and comply with the Johns Hopkins University Krieger School of Arts and Sciences (KSAS) / Whiting School of Engineering (WSE) Procedures for Handling Allegations of Misconduct by Full-Time and Part-Time Graduate Students. This policy prohibits academic misconduct, including but not limited to the following: cheating or facilitating cheating; plagiarism; reuse of assignments; unauthorized collaboration; alteration of graded assignments; and unfair competition. Course materials (old assignments, texts, or examinations, etc.) should not be shared unless authorized by the course instructor. Any questions related to this policy should be directed to EP’s academic integrity officer at ep-academic-integrity@jhu.edu.

Students with Disabilities - Accommodations and Accessibility

Johns Hopkins University values diversity and inclusion. We are committed to providing welcoming, equitable, and accessible educational experiences for all students. Our courses are designed with a proactive approach to accessibility to minimize the need for disability disclosure and accommodation requests, but we recognize that you may need additional support. Students with disabilities (including those with psychological conditions, medical conditions, and temporary disabilities) can request accommodations for this course by providing an Accommodation Letter issued by Student Disability Services (SDS). Please request accommodations for this course as early as possible to provide time for effective communication and arrangements.  For further information or to start the process of requesting accommodations, please contact EP Student Disability Services at ep-disability-svcs@jhu.edu. 

Student Conduct Code

The fundamental purpose of the JHU regulation of student conduct is to promote and to protect the health, safety, welfare, property, and rights of all members of the University community as well as to promote the orderly operation of the University and to safeguard its property and facilities. As members of the University community, students accept certain responsibilities which support the educational mission and create an environment in which all students are afforded the same opportunity to succeed academically. For a full description of the code please visit the Student Conduct Code website.

Classroom Climate

JHU is committed to creating a classroom environment that values the diversity of experiences and perspectives that all students bring. Everyone has the right to be treated with dignity and respect. Fostering an inclusive climate is important. Research and experience show that students who interact with peers who are different from themselves learn new things and experience tangible educational outcomes. At no time in this learning process should someone be singled out or treated unequally on the basis of any seen or unseen part of their identity. If you have concerns in this course about harassment, discrimination, or any unequal treatment, or if you seek accommodations or resources, please reach out to the course instructor directly. Reporting will never impact your course grade. You may also share concerns with your program chair, the Assistant Dean for Diversity and Inclusion, or the Office of Institutional Equity. In handling reports, people will protect your privacy as much as possible, but faculty and staff are required to officially report information for some cases (e.g. sexual harassment).

Course Auditing

When a student enrolls in an EP course with “audit” status, the student must reach an understanding with the instructor as to what is required to earn the “audit.” If the student does not meet those expectations, the instructor must notify the EP Registration Team (EP-Registration@exchange.johnshopkins.edu) in order for the student to be retroactively dropped or withdrawn from the course (depending on when the "audit" was requested and in accordance with EP registration deadlines). All lecture content will remain accessible to auditing students, but access to all other course material is left to the discretion of the instructor.