Engineering Geology (GEOL-7138)

DESCRIPTION AND OBJECTIVES

This course will introduce students to knowledge, theories, and debates about how the world’s physical systems operate and the characteristics of different geological environments. The objective of this is to get students thinking about the big questions relating to the origins, make-up, and operations of the planet and how this relates to the engineering geologist’s job of predicting how near-surface rocks, soils and groundwater will affect any man-made structure founded on, or excavated into, the earth. The buildings, bridges, tunnels, dams, towers, railways, roads, wharfs, aqueducts, canals, pipelines, airport runways, underground power stations, subsurface tanks – all these structures are built within or on the ground. The successful construction of the public and private infrastructure requires a proper understanding of the ground conditions that supports or encloses these structures. After the completion of this course the students will be able to understand how an engineering geologist can use this knowledge to assist in the safe design and construction structures and the successful prediction of ground conditions and likely behaviour of that ground, which has a very long history.

INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES

On successful completion of the course students will be able to:

1. To collect, analysis, and interpret geological data and information required for the safe development of civil works.

2. Independently carry out impact assessment and mitigation of geologic hazards such earthquakes, landslides, flooding.

3. The assessment of timber harvesting impacts; and groundwater remediation and resource evaluation.

4. The ground conditions and likely behavior of that ground during different developmental activities, like constructions of dams, underground mining, Tunneling

COURSE CONTENTS

Rock and soil mechanics and its application in civil engineering
Study of geological factors in relation to the construction of buildings and foundations, roads, highways
Excavation and tunneling
Mine openings
Dams and bridges
Construction materials
Slope stability analysis
Hazard assessment
Mass movement, their causes and prevention
Application of geophysical methods for site investigation
Construction in earth-quake zone
Dams and their kinds geological investigations for selecting a site for a dam
Landslides
Classification, geometry, causes and preventive methods
Ground water and character of ground water
Case histories of important engineering projects (small and mega) in Pakistan

READINGS

Attewell, P. B., & Farmer, I. W. (2012). Principles of engineering geology. Springer Science & Business Media.
Waltham, T. (2002). Foundations of engineering geology. CRC Press.
Bell, F. G. (2016). Fundamentals of engineering geology. Elsevier.
Blyth, F. G. H., & De Freitas, M. (2017). A geology for engineers. CRC Press.

COURSE SCHEDULE

Week	Topics and Readings	Reading and Materials
1 & 2	Introduction & Scope	week-1-2-a.pdf week-1-2-b.pdf
3 & 4	Description, Properties and Behaviour of Soils and Rocks	week-3-4-a.pdf week-3-4-b.pdf
5 & 6	Site Investigation	week-5-6-a.pdf week-5-6-b.pdf
7 & 8	Geotechnical Parameters	week-7-8-a.pdf week-7-8-b.pdf
9	Organization, Design and Reporting of Site Investigations	week-9.pdf
10 & 11	Analysis, design and construction	week-10-11-a.pdf week-10-11-b.pdf
12	Geohazards	week-12.pdf
13 & 14	Landslides and Other Slope Failures	week-13-14.pdf
15 & 16	Ground Subsidence, Collapse, and Heave	week-15-16.pdf