Print this page Groundwater Control for Design & Construction
T. E. McLaughlin, P.E.
Course Outline
Groundwater is a common problem for horizontal construction projects. The analysis and comprehensive resolution of groundwater issues is fundamental to having a successful construction project, completed on time, within budget, and free of claims and lawsuits. This two-hour course discusses the variety of issues concerning groundwater, how to resolve these issues, and how to use hydraulic analysis to supplement the basic design in order to avoid surprises during construction. Use of DoD Handbook UFC 3-220-05, Dewatering and Groundwater Control, allows the course to present a comprehensive and detailed survey of groundwater issues along with many examples of analysis and hydraulic computations commonly used for groundwater situations on construction projects.
This course includes a multiple-choice quiz at the end, which is designed to enhance the understanding of the course materials.
Learning Objective
At the conclusion of this course, the student will:
- Understand the nature of groundwater problems;
- Be able to recognize and analyze typical groundwater conditions;
- Be able to choose equipment and appropriate methods to address specific groundwater conditions;
- Become familiar with modifications to design which help alleviate groundwater issues; and
- Be able to perform basic hydraulic analyses and computations.
Intended Audience
This course is intended for architects, engineers, and contractors.
Benefit for Attendee
Successful completion of this course will enable the student to analyze and address a variety of groundwater situations on construction projects.
Course Introduction
This course is to be taken in conjunction with the open-source DoD Handbook
UFC 3-220-05, Dewatering and Groundwater Control. This publication should be downloaded and easily available to you while taking the course. You can do this by one of the following methods: a) download the Handbook and make it available on your hard drive; b) download and copy the Handbook to a CD which you will then use during the course; c) download and print the Handbook on paper and refer to it with this method. Test questions are taken either from this course text, or by reference to the Handbook Chapters 1, 2, and 3, specifically the text and figures/tables. You will need to have the Course text and Handbook available either via your computer screen or in printed form on paper when taking the test.
Course Content
In this course you are required to download and study the following documents:
Course Text - Groundwater Control for Design & Construction
DoD Handbook - UFC 3-220-05, Dewatering and Groundwater Control
Please click on the above underlined hypertext to view, download or print the document for your study. Because of the large file size, we recommend that you first save the file to your computer by right clicking the mouse and choosing "Save Target As ...", and then open the file in Adobe Acrobat Reader. If you still experience any difficulty in downloading or opening this file, you may need to close some applications or reboot your computer to free up some memory.
Course Summary
Groundwater is a common issue for horizontal construction projects. Dealing with this common problem is critical to having a successful project and completing it on time, within budget. Designers must deal with groundwater problems during the design phase using common methods and hydraulic analyses in order to prevent construction claims and project delays.
Related Links
For additional technical information related to this subject, please visit the following websites or web pages:
http://www.wbdg.org/
http://www.wbdg.org/ccb/browse_cat.php?o=29&c=4
Quiz
Once you finish studying the above course content, you need to take a quiz to obtain the PDH credits.
DISCLAIMER: The materials contained in the online course are not intended as a representation or warranty on the part of PDH Center or any other person/organization named herein. The materials are for general information only. They are not a substitute for competent professional advice. Application of this information to a specific project should be reviewed by a registered architect and/or professional engineer/surveyor. Anyone making use of the information set forth herein does so at their own risk and assumes any and all resulting liability arising therefrom.
