Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
All the actions and activities associated with the preceding items and events serve as
sources for mechanical, thermal, hydraulic, chemical, and biological stressors. The vari-
ous stressors generated from all the aforementioned activities on the geoenvironment have
been the subject of discussion in the preceding chapters of this topic. Geoenvironmental
engineering practice in support of all these activities and especially in respect to the man-
agement of stressor impacts on the geoenvironment needs to be applied in the context of
protection of habitat and quality and health of the geoenvironment and its natural resources.
13.1.2 Geotechnical to Geoenvironmental Engineering Practice
Geotechnical engineering practice has historically addressed geoenvironmental mechan-
ical and hydraulic stressor impacts through such actions as stabilization of slopes and
embankments, control and/or elimination of piping of dams, building of lood prevention
levees, slope erosion control measures, diversionary ditches and canals, soft soil stabiliza-
tion in aid of constructed facilities, etc. Thermal stressor impact problems, especially in
the permafrost regions of the world, were addressed by constructing habitable structures
on stilts so as to allow the natural ground surface to maintain its previous ground cover
and also allow for maintenance of natural ambient surface temperatures. These were mea-
sures to protect the permafrost—as were the use of thermopiles in the construction of
the Alyeska (Trans-Alaska) pipeline in the mid-1970s. It is interesting to note that even at
that time, geoenvironmental concerns were considered and considerable effort was made
toward habitat protection including such factors as allowance for caribou crossings and
protection of native fauna.
Chemical stressors and their impacts in and on the geoenvironment are more recent
concerns, highlighted because of the greater awareness of the many health hazards posed
by landills, discharge of toxic or contaminated liquid waste streams, illegal dumping of
noxious materials, etc. Protection of human health and other biotic receptors in the face
of the impacts from chemical stressors required knowledge of the many different pro-
cesses and interactions between the chemical contaminants and soils and their transport
and fate in the affected soils. Geotechnical engineering perforce is now geoenvironmental
engineering by virtue of the kinds of problems and challenges posed by present human
activities. Protection of the soil and water resources of the geoenvironment as vital parts of
the geoenvironment together with protection of the other natural resources of the geoen-
vironment are paramount requirements if survival of the human species is to be assured.
This is the charge of
Sustainable Practices in Geoenvironmental Engineering.
13.2 Unsustainable Actions and Events
Figure 13.1 illustrates some of the major issues involved in both unsustainable and sus-
tainable activities that affect the geoenvironment and, in particular, the soil and water
resources. Unsustainable actions refer to those actions and circumstances that generate
adverse impacts to, or in, or on the geoenvironment. Discussions on many of these impacts
or activities and events contributing to such impacts have been given in the previous chap-
ters. The following brief discussion in this section provides a set of examples that dem-
onstrate the problem at hand and also why the quality and health of the land and water
resources are central issues.
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