Geotechnical Construction Management For Civil Engineers Training

Learning Outcomes

• Apply geotechnical principles to manage construction projects, including site investigation and soil classification.
• Analyze geotechnical data to design safe and cost-effective foundation systems.
• Evaluate ground improvement techniques and their suitability for specific site conditions.
• Implement risk management strategies to mitigate geotechnical hazards such as slope instability and settlement.
• Demonstrate compliance with relevant South African standards (e.g., SANS) and environmental regulations.
• Design monitoring programs to assess geotechnical performance during and after construction.

Target Audience

Civil engineers and construction managers involved in geotechnical projects, including those responsible for planning, supervision, and quality control of earthworks and foundations.

Prerequisites

None — open enrollment.

Course Outline

Practicals

Overview

The practicals provide hands-on experience in soil testing, instrumentation installation, and quality control procedures essential for geotechnical construction management. Learners will perform field and laboratory tests, operate monitoring equipment, and apply risk assessment tools to real-world scenarios.

Practical Activities

• Soil Classification and Compaction Test — Learners conduct sieve analysis, Atterberg limits, and standard Proctor compaction test in the lab, then perform field density tests using a sand cone or nuclear gauge. (12h)
• In-Situ Testing and Instrumentation Installation — Learners perform SPT and CPT at a test site, install piezometers and inclinometers, and collect data for analysis. (15h)
• Slope Stability and Retaining Wall Design Exercise — Using software (e.g., SLOPE/W) and hand calculations, learners analyse a slope and design a simple retaining wall, then verify with a physical model. (12h)
• Quality Control and Risk Assessment Workshop — Learners conduct a plate load test, perform a risk assessment for a geotechnical scenario, and develop a quality control plan. (12h)

Summatives

Each delegate is assessed continuously throughout the course via daily exercises, scored practical assignments, and a final summative test at the end.

Practical Assignments — 30%

Practical assignments are observed and scored against a rubric during the practical sessions. Each delegate's practical mark is averaged into a single 100% score and contributes 30% to the final total.

Daily Exercises — 20%

Every training day ends with a multiple-choice exercise scored out of 100%. The scores from each daily exercise are averaged across the duration of the course to produce a Daily Average mark, which contributes 20% to the final total.

Final Test — 50%

On the last day a final summative test is written. It is a multiple-choice paper with multiple-answer questions: each question may have more than one correct option, and a single wrong selection on a question marks the entire question wrong — no partial credit. The final test is scored out of 100% and contributes 50% to the overall mark.

Final Total

Component	Out of	Weight
Practical Assignments (rubric-scored)	100%	30%
Daily Average (multiple choice)	100%	20%
Final Test (multi-answer multiple choice)	100%	50%
Final Total	—	100%

All marks are recorded on the AATICD LMS and visible to each learner under their account.

Certificate

How it works

• Certificates are auto-generated on the AATICD LMS as soon as the marks pass the 50% threshold.
• Each certificate is a branded PDF with the delegate's name, the course title, the unit standard ID, NQF level, credits, and the date of issue.
• You can download or print your certificate from your LMS dashboard at any time after issue — there's no reissue fee and no expiry date.
• If you scored under 50% you can sit the final test again at the next scheduled session at no extra cost.

Where to find it

Sign in to the LMS, open your dashboard, and your certificates appear under My Certificates. Each entry has a View / Download button and a print option.

Training Discounts

Group discounts apply automatically — the more delegates you enrol, the greater the saving. Discounts are calculated at 3% per 5 delegates, scaling up to 40% off for 100+ delegates.

Delegates	Discount
5	3% off
10	6% off
15	9% off
20	12% off
25	15% off
30	18% off
50	30% off
75	35% off
100	40% off

3% discount per 5 delegates, up to 40% off for 100+ delegates. Contact us for a custom group quote.