Diploma in Urban Geotechnics for Deep Excavations
Online postgraduate diploma of 800 hours in urban geotechnics for deep excavations, structured in 8 modules covering urban excavation constraints, earth pressures and stability, retaining systems, support systems, groundwater control, ground movements and impacts, and Eurocode 7 design and monitoring, with an assigned technical tutor.
Diploma in Urban Geotechnics for Deep Excavations — studying from New Zealand
Civil engineering is one of New Zealand's largest engineering employers, driven by the need for earthquake-resilient infrastructure, roading, water and wastewater systems across a seismically active country. Major projects include Auckland's City Rail Link and Wellington's transport upgrades, with rail maintained largely by KiwiRail. Engineers work for consultancies, contractors and councils, and the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment administers the Building Act and related standards, while Waka Kotahi manages the national land transport network.
Fees for New Zealand: NZ$2,960 (New Zealand dollar), with instalments and employer sponsorship available.
Relevant bodies in New Zealand
Typical roles
Questions from New Zealand
What is the recognition pathway for civil and rail engineers in New Zealand?
Engineering New Zealand administers Chartered Professional Engineer registration, which is the main recognised professional standard for civil engineers. Rail is regulated through the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi and the Ministry of Transport. SEIUM's qualifications are private and not accredited by a national body, so employers or the relevant body decide how much weight to give them.
Who hires civil, rail and smart city engineers in New Zealand?
Employers include city and regional councils, central government agencies, consultancies, contractors, and rail and transport operators. Smart city roles increasingly combine infrastructure knowledge with data and digital systems. Hiring usually depends on registration, experience and project records, so a private qualification is a supporting credential rather than a guaranteed entry point.
Will I need a visa, and how do fees and employer funding work?
No student visa is needed to study from home, because all programmes are 100% online and taught in English. Each programme includes an assigned technical tutor and a final project. Fees are payable in instalments, and employer sponsorship is possible. Master's programmes take 1,900 hours, postgraduate diplomas 800 and specialist courses 300, so check the time commitment against your workload.
Take the controls.
Run a real engineering trade-off from this field. Move the sliders, watch the model react in real time and beat the challenge.
What you will be able to do
Analyse the geotechnical constraints of urban excavations.
Calculate earth pressures and check base stability.
Select and size retaining systems.
Design anchors, struts and temporary supports.
Control groundwater in excavations.
Predict movements and assess damage to adjacent buildings.
Plan monitoring in line with the observational method.
Who it's for
- Geotechnical engineers.
- Special foundations designers.
- Retaining works site managers.
- Monitoring engineers.
- Geotechnical consultants.
- Geotechnical quality control technicians.
- Engineering or science graduates looking to move into urban building construction.
What you'll work with
- EN 1997-1 (Eurocode 7 — geotechnical design)
- Spanish Technical Building Code DB SE-C (foundations and geotechnical basic document)
- EN 1538 (execution of special geotechnical works — diaphragm walls)
- EN 1537 (execution of special geotechnical works — ground anchors)
- EN 12063 (execution of special geotechnical works — sheet pile walls)
- EN 1536 (execution of special geotechnical works — bored piles)
- EN 12716 (execution of special geotechnical works — jet grouting)
- ISO 22477-5 (testing of geotechnical structures — testing of grouted anchors)
- PLAXIS 2D
- DeepEX
- GEO5
- GeoStudio SEEP/W
- Midas GTS NX
8 modules
1.1Constraints of the urban environment1.2Types of deep excavation1.3Geotechnical investigation on urban sites1.4Geotechnical design parameters1.5Water table and its variation1.6Adjacent buildings and party walls1.7Affected urban utilities1.8Permits and municipal regulations1.9Historical excavation collapses1.10Workshop: analysis of the constraints of a site
2.1Active, passive and at-rest earth pressures2.2Rankine and Coulomb theories2.3Earth pressures in stratified ground2.4Surcharges from nearby buildings2.5Water pressures on the retaining structure2.6Stability of the excavation base2.7Piping in granular soils2.8Base heave in clays2.9Overall stability2.10Practical exercise: calculating earth pressures on a diaphragm wall
3.1Concrete diaphragm walls3.2Pile walls3.3Driven steel sheet piles3.4Berlin walls with steel soldier piles3.5Jet grouting column walls3.6Secant pile walls3.7Selecting the retaining system3.8Execution and control of walls3.9Joints and watertightness3.10Case study: retaining system for a five-level basement
4.1Prestressed ground anchors4.2Struts and propping4.3Top-down construction method4.4Temporary earth berms4.5Intermediate slabs as support4.6Anchor design according to EN 15374.7Anchor testing4.8Destressing and removal of anchors4.9Impact of anchors on adjacent properties4.10Lab: anchor sizing
5.1Dewatering and drawdown5.2Deep wells and wellpoints5.3Perimeter cut-off walls5.4Base plugs5.5Groundwater flow models5.6Settlements caused by drawdown5.7Artificial aquifer recharge5.8Discharge of dewatering water5.9Permits from the river basin authority5.10Practical exercise: flow model with SEEP/W
6.1Predicting wall movements6.2Numerical models of excavation6.3Settlements in adjacent buildings6.4Damage assessment according to Burland6.5Underpinning of buildings6.6Instrumentation of nearby buildings6.7Alert thresholds6.8Response when thresholds are exceeded6.9Handling neighbour claims6.10Case study: excavation next to a historic building
7.1Eurocode 7 design approaches7.2Spanish Technical Building Code DB SE-C7.3Observational method in excavations7.4Inclinometers and piezometers7.5Precision survey monitoring7.6Monitoring reports7.7Occupational risks in excavations7.8Quality control of execution7.9Project documentation7.10Workshop: monitoring plan for an excavation
8.1Site and surroundings data8.2Geotechnical model of the site8.3Selecting the retaining system8.4Wall design calculations8.5Groundwater management8.6Movement prediction8.7Monitoring plan8.8Retaining system budget8.9Report and presentation8.10Final project: final review with the tutor
How you'll learn
Training is 100% online on the SEIUM campus, with downloadable material, recorded classes and an assigned technical tutor. There are no fixed timetables: you progress at your own pace within the intake, so it can be combined with work.
Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. The working software is PLAXIS 2D, DeepEX, GEO5, GeoStudio SEEP/W and Midas GTS NX, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Practical work is based on real procedures: diaphragm wall calculations with numerical models, design of dewatering systems and monitoring plans for urban excavations. Assessment is continuous by module, plus the final project.
Standards covered: EN 1997-1, Spanish Technical Building Code DB SE-C, EN 1538, EN 1537, EN 12063, EN 1536, EN 12716, ISO 22477-5
Build it end to end
Your final project follows the real engineering workflow, step by step, reviewed by your tutor.
Where this takes you
Requirements
- Prior technical training or professional experience in the sector. No university degree is required.
- An internet connection and a computer capable of running the programme software.
- English sufficient to read technical standards.
Ready to start?
Send your application today. Our admissions team replies within 72 hours with your study plan and funding options.
Frequently asked questions
The programme totals 800 hours over 6–8 months. You set your own pace within each intake, and your tutor helps you plan the workload around your job.
You work with PLAXIS 2D, DeepEX, GEO5, GeoStudio SEEP/W and Midas GTS NX, using free, academic or evaluation versions. Your tutor indicates the free alternative wherever one exists.
A SEIUM Institute diploma, awarded on passing the continuous assessment and the final project. It is SEIUM's own qualification, not an official state degree; its recognition depends on the programme completed and the regulations of each country.
Yes. Modules passed are recognised in a higher programme in the same area (postgraduate diploma or master's). Ask about the recognition policy when you enrol.
Prior technical training or professional experience in the sector (no university degree required), a computer able to run the software and English sufficient to read technical standards.
Start dates are set by SEIUM's faculty for each intake. Our admissions team will confirm the next available date when you apply.
Related programmes
Postgraduate Diploma in Track Geometry, Inspection and Track Management
Online 800-hour Postgraduate Diploma in Track Geometry, Inspection and Track Management. 8 modules with EN 13848-1 (track geometry quality: characterisation), EN 13848-5 (track geometry quality: levels)…
Postgraduate Diploma in Operation, O&M and Sanitary Compliance
Online 800-hour Postgraduate Diploma in Operation, O&M and Sanitary Compliance. 8 modules covering Directive (EU) 2020/2184 (water intended for human consumption), Real Decreto 3/2023 (technical-sanitary criteria…
Diploma in SHM and Structural Monitoring of Bridges
Online postgraduate diploma of 800 hours in SHM and structural health monitoring of bridges, structured in 8 modules covering monitoring objectives, sensors and measurement, data acquisition…
More in Civil, Rail & Smart Cities
All Civil, Rail & Smart Cities programmes → · How to apply · Fees & financing · Scholarships