ENGINEERING GEOLOGY

 INTRODUCTION #
Engineering geology is defined by same engineering problems solved to use of
application of geological knowledge. Engineering geology understanding of geologic
phenomena, geologic problems and solution of engineering problems. Engineering
geologists provide geological and geotechnical recommendations, design of human
development, analysis to various type of structures.

Engineering geology studies

 Environmental impact analysis
 Design
 Construction phases
 Works projects
 Geological hazard assessments
 Material properties
 Slope stability
 Geotechnical
 Seismic investigation

Engineering geology investigation and studies

 For residential, commercial and industrial developments;

 For public works such as a storm water drainage system, power plant, wind
turbine, transmission line, sewage treatment plant, water treatment plant, pipeline
(aqueduct, sewer, outfall), tunnel, trenchless construction, canal, dam, reservoir,
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 building foundation, railroad, transit, highway, bridge, seismic retrofit, power
generation facility, airport and park;
 For mine and quarry developments, mine tailing dam, mine reclamation and mine
tunneling;
 For wetland and habitat restoration programs;
 For government, commercial, or industrial hazardous waste remediation sites;
 For coastal engineering, sand replenishment, bluff or sea cliff stability, harbor, pier
and waterfront development;
 For offshore outfall, drilling platform and sub-sea pipeline, sub-sea cable; and
 For other types of facilities.

Typical geologic hazards or other adverse conditions evaluated by an

engineering geologist include:

 Fault rupture on seismically active faults;

 Seismic and earthquake hazards (ground shaking, liquefaction, lurching, lateral
spreading, tsunami and seiche events);
 Landslide, mudflow, rock fall, debris flow, and avalanche hazards;

 Unstable slopes and slope stability;

 Erosion;
 Slaking and heave of geologic formations, such as frost heaving;
 Ground subsidence (such as due to ground water withdrawal, sinkhole collapse,
cave collapse, decomposition of organic soils, and tectonic movement);
 Volcanic hazards (volcanic eruptions, hot springs, pyroclastic flows, debris flow,
debris avalanche, gas emissions, volcanic earthquakes);
 Non-ripple or marginally ripple rock requiring heavy ripping or blasting;
 Weak and collapsible soils, foundation bearing failures;
 Shallow ground water/seepage; and
 Other types of geologic constraints.

The methods used by engineering geologists in their studies include

 Geologic field mapping of geologic structures, geologic formations, soil units and
hazards;
 The review of geologic literature, geologic maps, geotechnical reports, engineering
plans, environmental reports, stereoscopic aerial photographs, remote sensing data,
Global Positioning System (GPS) data, topographic maps and satellite imagery;
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  The excavation, sampling and logging of earth/rock materials in drilled borings,
backhoe test pits and trenches, fault trenching, and bulldozer pits;
 Geophysical surveys (such as seismic refraction traverses, resistivity surveys,
ground penetrating radar (GPR) surveys, magnetometer surveys, electromagnetic
surveys, high-resolution sub-bottom profiling, and other geophysical methods);
 Deformation monitoring as the systematic measurement and tracking of the
alteration in the shape or dimensions of an object as a result of the application of
stress to it manually or with an automatic deformation monitoring system;

 APPLICATION OF ENGINEERING GEOLOGY #

The importance of geology in civil engineering may briefly be outlines as follows,

 Geology provides a systematic knowledge of construction material, its occurrence,

composition, durability and other properties. Example of such construction materials is
building stones, road metal, clay, limestone and laterite.
 The knowledge of the geological work of natural agencies such as water, wind, ice and
earthquakes helps in planning and carrying out major civil engineering works. For
example the knowledge of erosion, transportation and deposition helps greatly in solving
the expensive problems of river control, coastal and harbor work and soil conservation.
 Ground water is the water which occurs in the subsurface rocks. The knowledge about its
quantity and depth of occurrence is required in connection with water supply, irrigation,
excavation and many other civil engineering works.
 The foundation problems of dams, bridges and buildings are directly concerned with the
geology of the area where they are to be built. In these works drilling is commonly
undertaken to explore the ground conditions. Geology helps greatly in interpreting the
drilling data.
 In tunneling, constructing roads, canals, docks and in determining the stability of cuts and
slopes, the knowledge about the nature and structure of rocks is very necessary.
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  Before staring a major engineering project at a place, a detailed geological report which
is accompanied by geological maps and sections, is prepared. Such a report helps in
planning and constructing the projects.
 The stability of civil engineering structure is considerably increased if the geological
feature like faults, joints, bedding planes, folding solution channels etc. In the rock beds
are properly located and suitably treated.
 In the study of soil mechanics, it is necessary to know how the soil materials are formed
in nature.
 The cost of engineering works will considerably reduce to the geological survey of the
area concerned is done before hand.

There are four briefly defining types of engineering and that are:

 Foundation Engineering
 Material Engineering
 Land use Engineering
 Environmental engineering
 FOUNDATION ENGINEERING #

In engineering, a foundation is the element of a structure which connects it to the

ground, and transfers loads from the structure to the ground. Foundations are generally
considered either shallow or deep. Foundation engineering is the application of soil mechanics
and rock mechanics (Geotechnical engineering) in the design of foundation elements of
structures.

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  PURPOSE OF FOUNDATION ENGINEERING #

Foundations provide the structure's stability from the ground.

 To distribute the weight of the structure over large area so as to avoid over-loading of the
soil beneath.
 To anchor the structures against the changing natural forces like Earthquakes, floods,
frost-heave, tornado or wind.
 To load the sub-stratum evenly and thus prevents unequal settlement.
 To provide a level surface for building operations.
 To take the structure deep into the ground and thus increase its stability, preventing
overloading.
 Specially designed foundation helps in avoiding the lateral movements of the supporting
material.

 REQUIREMENT OF GOOD FOUNDATION #

The design and the construction of a well-performing foundation must possess some basic
requirements that must not be ignored. They are:

 The design and the construction of the foundation are done such that it can sustain as well
as transmit the dead and the imposed loads to the soil. This transfer has to be carried out
without resulting in any form of settlement that can result in any form of stability issues
for the structure.
 Differential settlements can be avoided by having a rigid base for the foundation. These
issues are more pronounced in areas where the superimposed loads are not uniform in
nature.
 Based on the soil and area it is recommended to have a deeper foundation so that it can
guard any form of damage or distress. These are mainly caused due to the problem of
shrinkage and swelling because of temperature changes.
 The location of the foundation chosen must be an area that is not affected or influenced
by future works or factors.
 MATERIAL ENGINEERING #

INTRODUCTION: Civil engineering materials are key components to the design

and maintenance of civil structures. Most of these structures are large in scale such as bridges,
buildings, and dams.

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 MATERIAL TYPE:

Materials that are widely used in the civil engineering practice include but
are not limited to: reinforced concrete, asphalt, masonry, wood, structural steel,
aluminum, and polymers.

 REINFORCED CONCRETE:

Reinforced concrete is the most common civil engineering material. It is

composed of concrete which is a combination of materials such as sand, fly ash, river
rock, and cement.

 Behavior:

Concrete which is a combination of materials such as sand, fly ash, river rock, and
cement, is extremely strong when subjected to compression but behaves in a brittle manner
when exposed to tension. The "reinforced" component is provided by steel rebar. This rebar
provides the tensile capacity to reinforced concrete structures.

 Benefits:

The most desired quality of concrete is that it is readily available, and is usually
composed of materials that can be found/produced locally. Concrete is also extremely
durable under repeated loading conditions.

 Drawbacks:

Concrete is an extremely heavy material. At 150 pcf, large scale concrete structures can
experience more loading from self-weight than from live loads.

 STRUCTURAL STEEL: Structural steel is another civil engineering material that

can be found in nearly all civil structure

 Behavior
Steel is common in the design of beams, frames, columns, and trusses. Steel is strong in
both tension and compression but is subject to many limit state checks in design. Steel girders

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can span much longer distances than reinforced concrete, but are more likely to buckle. A
common application of structural steel is foundation design. Steel piles (HP shapes) can be
driven into foundations to a minimum pile bearing capacity and then encased with reinforced
concrete. This adds a great deal of flexural and axial capacity as well as protects the structural
steel from corrosion.

Steel piling was driven closely together to prevent the road from sliding further. This is a
common repair method for foundation slides.

 Benefits

The flexibility of steel in structural design makes it an economic material. Many steel
structures can be built up from smaller steel components. Common examples of this are frame
design and plate girder design. Frames can be composed of multiple steel shapes (W-Shapes,
Angles, HSS, etc.) that are rigidly connected by welds and bolts. Plate girders are common in
long span bridge design. Plate girders are composed of large plates (5 feet or more in height)
that are spliced together with full penetration welds and high strength bolts.

 Drawbacks:

Corrosion is the most common and most expensive problem with steel structures.
Protective coatings must be maintained throughout the life of the structure or extreme section
loss can occur. Steel is also susceptible to buckling. High shear loads can buckle the webs of
steel I-beams if stiffeners are not designed. Steel beams are also subject to lateral torsional
buckling and flexural buckling if adequate bracing is not incorporated in design.

The smaller buckled members were temporary bracing components that buckled in
compression. Construction loads applied during lifting procedures and horizontal wind loads are
common causes of lateral torsional buckling of plate girders. The strength of these flexural
members is greatly reduced as a result of this buckling failure.

 LAND USE ENGINEERING #

 INTRODUCTION #

Anyone who sets the location of buildings, streets, walks, open spaces, etc. is a
Land Planner. That pretty much covers some, or most, of the tasks that Civil Engineers and
Land Surveyors will encounter. If you are designing a utility to be built across a vacant
undeveloped property, you are a Land Planner. That utility will restrict where buildings can be
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placed and likely to also restrict locations of streets and other improvements. You may have
located the utility line in a way that conformed to the natural terrain but reduced the number of
lots that must conform to regulations. When an engineer sets the location of infrastructure
without planning the total layout of how the ultimate land use is affected – they act as a Land
Planner, but not in a good way.

 PRE APPLICATION #
 Development Services reviews the site for road and utility improvements.
 Development Services reviews the site for stormwater requirements.
 Development Services reviews the site for geologic hazard.

 COMPLETENESS OF APPLICATION #
 A Complete Application for Development Services Includes.
 Preliminary Engineering Plans and Stormwater Report.
 Geotechnical Report showing the site is buildable (when applicable).
 Answers to Code that specifically answer how the project meets code.
 Use our checklists to know what is required.

 STAFF REPORT #
 Development Services provides Conditions of Approval that may include, but are not
limited to.
 Various Standards that must be followed or designed for.
 Various Fees and Sureties that are required.
 Various Documents that must be provided and/or recorded.

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  ENVIROMENTAL ENGINEERING #

 INTRODUCTION #

Environmental engineers study water, soil and air pollution problems, and
develop technical solutions needed to solve, attenuate or control these problems in a manner
that is compatible with legislative, economic, social and political concerns. Civil engineers are
particularly involved in such activities as water supply and sewerage, management of surface
water and groundwater quality, remediation of contaminated sites and solid waste management.

The Civil Engineering profession is concerned with the built environment. Civil engineers plan,
design, and construct major facilities, including highways, transit systems, airports, dams, water
and wastewater treatment systems, tunnels, energy facilities, harbors, canals, buildings, and
bridges. Civil engineers manage our air, water, and energy resources and protect society from
natural catastrophes, such as earthquakes, and the hazards society itself generates in the form of
toxic wastes.

 PURPOSE OF ENVIROMENTAL ENG #

The activities of such engineers include, but are not limited to, the planning, design,
construction and operation of water and wastewater treatment facilities in municipalities and
industries, modeling and analysis of surface water and groundwater quality, design of soil and
remediation systems, planning for the disposal and reuse of wastewaters and sludge’s, and the
collection, transport, processing, recovery and disposal of solid wastes according to accepted
engineering practices.
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Environmental Engineering involves sustainable design for the control and protection of the
environment and its resources. Environmental engineers design systems for water quality and
treatment, wastewater treatment, hazardous waste management and treatment and control of air
pollutants.

 GOAL OF ENVIROMENTAL ENGINEERING #

The goal of environmental engineering is to ensure that societal development and

the use of water, land and air resources are sustainable. This goal is achieved by managing these
resources so that environmental pollution and degradation is minimized.

The activities of such engineers include, but are not limited to, the planning, design,
construction and operation of water and wastewater treatment facilities in municipalities and
industries, modeling and analysis of surface water and groundwater quality, design of soil and
remediation systems, planning for the disposal and reuse of wastewaters and sludge’s, and the
collection, transport, processing, recovery and disposal of solid wastes according to accepted
engineering practices.

 ROLE OF CIVIL ENGINEER #

Environmental engineers are called upon to play an important role in

environmental protection, because engineering solutions are required to meet the environmental
standards set by legislation.

Civil engineers can be found in industry, consulting firms, and government. This is one of the
few areas of engineering in which the engineer often deals directly with the public and public
agencies in every phase of major infrastructural projects.

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