GEO3131 ¨C Geomechanics

Course content

This course will focus on the mechanics of earth materials (e.g. rock, soil, snow and ice), in particular, how earth materials deform, yield, flow and fail under applied loads or external forcing (both natural and man-induced). Failure criteria, frictional sliding, time-dependent strength and (in)stability will be considered. The concepts discussed will be applied to geohazard problems e.g. landslides, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and glacier dynamics.

Learning outcome

After completing this course, students are expected to have competence in:

• describing the strength and stability of geomaterials
• stress and strain
• rheology and flow of geomaterials
• yield and failure criteria
• frictional sliding
• slope instability

Admission to the course

Students who are admitted to study programmes at UiO must each semester register which courses and exams they wish to sign up for?in Studentweb.

The courses GEO3131 and GEO4131 has a joint admission, with a joint capacity of 20?students.

If there are more then 20?applicants for GEO4131/3131, applicants will be ranked after the following categories:

1. Master students in Geosciences admitted to one of the following programme options (not prioritized order):
   • Geohazards and Geomechanics (programme option) (being phased out)
   • Structural Geology and Tectonics (programme option) (being phased out)
2. Other master students at one of the following programme options/programme options (not prioritized order):
   • Geosciences (master's two years)
   • CS: Geoscience (programme option)
3. PhD students at the MN faculty
4. Bachelor students in one of the following programmes:
   • Geofysikk og klima (bachelor)
   • Geologi og geografi (bachelor) (programme option?Geology?has priority over programme option?Geography)
5. Exchange students and other students at the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences
6. Others

Applicants will be ranked by the number of ECTS-credits within each category: all applicants within category 1 is ranked before applicants in category 2. If there are space limitations in the course, available places will be given to students selected randomly.

Special admission requirements

In addition to fulfilling theHigher Education Entrance Qualification, applicants have to meet the following special admission requirements:

• Mathematics R1 (or Mathematics S1 and S2) + R2

And in addition one of these:

• Physics (1+2)
• Chemistry (1+2)
• Biology (1+2)
• Information technology (1+2)
• Geosciences (1+2)
• Technology and theories of research (1+2)

The special admission requirements may also be covered by equivalent studies from Norwegian upper secondary school or by other equivalent studies(in Norwegian).

Formal prerequisite knowledge

?The course includes laboratory work. A laboratory safety course must be passed before you can do the laboratory exercises:

• HMS0503 ¨C Laboratory Safety

Recommended previous knowledge

• MAT1100 ¨C Calculus /?MAT1001 ¨C Mathematics 1 (discontinued)
• FYS1001 ¨C Introduction to Physics /?FYS1000 ¨C Physics- the foundation of natural sciences and medicine (continued) /?FYS-MEK1110 ¨C Mechanics

Overlapping courses

• 10 credits overlap with GEO4130 ¨C Engineering Geology and Geomechanics (discontinued).
• 10 credits overlap with GEO9130.
• 10 credits overlap with GEO4131 ¨C Geomechanics.
• 10 credits overlap with GEO9131 ¨C Geomechanics.

Teaching

The course includes lectures and practical exercises, approx. 6 hours per week. Compulsory attendance to 4 practical exercises has to be approved before you can sit for the final exam. 1 compulsory assignment counts towards the final grade.

Attendance at the first lecture is compulsory. Students who fail to meet, are considered to have withdrawn from the course unless they have previously given notice to the Student administration (studieinfo@geo.uio.no).

We reserve the right to change the teaching?form and examination of the course in semesters where 5 or fewer students have been admitted.

As?the?teaching involves laboratory and/or field work, you should consider taking out a separate travel and personal risk insurance.?Read about your insurance cover as a student.

Examination

• Compulsary attendance to 4 practical exercises must be approved before you can sit for the final exam.
• Compulsory assignment counts for ca. 30%.
• Final written exam (three hours) counts for ca. 70%. If there are few registered students, the exam can be given as an oral examination.
• Both the compulsory assignent and the final exam must, individually, be passed to get the final grade.

It is possible to take the exam up to 3 times. If you?withdraw from the exam?after the deadline or during the exam, this will be counted as an examination attempt.

It will also be counted as one of the three attempts to sit the exam for this course if you sit the exam for one of the following courses:

• GEO4131 ¨C Geomechanics
• GEO4130 ¨C Engineering Geology and Geomechanics (discontinued)

Examination support material

No examination support material is allowed.

Language of examination

The examination text is given in English, and you submit your response in English.

Grading scale

Grades are awarded on a scale from A to F, where A is the best grade and F is a fail. Read more about the grading system.

Resit an examination

Students who can document a valid reason for absence from the regular examination are offered a postponed examination at the beginning of the next semester.

Re-scheduled examinations are not offered to students who withdraw during, or did not pass the original examination.

More about examinations at UiO

• Use of sources and citations
• Special exam arrangements due to individual needs
• Withdrawal from an exam
• Illness at exams / postponed exams
• Explanation of grades and appeals
• Resitting an exam
• Cheating/attempted cheating

You will find further guides and resources at the web page on examinations at UiO.