Geology Reference
In-Depth Information
Geology can be de
c study of the Earth and espe-
cially the rocks and soils that make up the Earth: their origins, nature
and distribution, and the processes involved in their formation.
Engineering geology then may be de
ned as the scienti
c study of
geology as it relates to civil engineering projects such as the design of
a bridge, construction of a dam or preventing a landslide. Engineering
geologists need to identify the local rock and soil conditions at a site
and anticipate natural hazards such as earthquakes so that structures
can be designed, constructed and operated safely and economically.
He (or she, throughout) needs to work with civil engineers and under-
stand what they are trying to do and the constraints under which
they work. His remit and responsibilities can be extensive, covering
all of the Earth Sciences,
ned as the scienti
including geophysics, geochemistry and
geomorphology.
Engineering geologists make up a high proportion of professional
geologists throughout the world. Most of these work in civil engineer-
ing: in consulting (designing) or contracting (construction) companies
with a team of engineers, some of whom will be specialised in the
eld
of geotechnical engineering, which concerns the interface of structures
with the ground.
One of the important tasks of an engineering geologist is to investi-
gate the geological conditions at a site and to present these in a
simpli
ed ground model or series of models. Models should contain
and characterise all the important elements of a site. Primary geologi-
cal soil and rock units are usually further subdivided on the basis of
factors such as degree of consolidation and strength, fracture spacing
and style, hydrogeological conditions or some combination. Models
must identify and account for all the natural hazards that might impact
the site, as illustrated schematically in
Figure 1.1
for a new high-rise
