Case Histories in Geotechnical Engineering Education

Case histories can be taught as an individual course or as part of a specific engineering class. These studies are very important when the teaching methodology incorporates the observational approach in design and construction. Several resources for case histories are available. However the most insightful are those in which the instructor has personal knowledge or the student participates in a case history-type project. One of the most important elements in engineering education is the sequential design approach in civil works projects. Case histories provide a very effective means of illustrating the complete design process which is the framework of professional practice. In February 2012, the State of Idaho declared one of the historic buildings (vintage 1924-1925) at Idaho State University “unsafe” until a complete geotechnical/structural investigation could be conducted to determine the integrity of the building. This action provided an excellent opportunity for foundation engineering students to participate in a case history study and to provide data used in an ongoing engineering analysis. The students under the supervision of the instructor collected the available geotechnical data, performed subsurface investigations, made damage observations, carried out laboratory tests, analyzed the building settlement/structural deformation and prepared a geotechnical report outline. Strategies for mitigating further settlement/damage were developed in the course. The students were required to sign the documents which were submitted to the structural engineer responsible for the building assessment