Engineering Geology

- branch of geology concerned with applying geological knowledge to engineering practice

- involves the study of the Earth’s materials, such as soil and rock and the processes that shape the Earth’s surface

Etymology

- Earth is commonly described as ‘the world’, ‘soil’, ‘the globe’ which is derived from “eoreo”
- Terra taken from Roman Goddess - Terra Mater
- Telus meaning land
- Gaia or Gaea which came from the name of the ancestral mother of life

Physical Geology

- branch that examines the materials composing the Earth and seeks to understand the processes that operate
beneath and upon its surface

Historical Geology

- branch that studies the Earth’s history and evolution by analyzing rock formations, fossils and geologic events in
the Earth’s past

Mineralogy

- This branch focuses on the study of minerals, their composition, structure, properties, classification, and the
processes that lead to their formation.

Petrology

- Petrology is the study of rocks, their origin, composition, structure, and classification. It is often divided into
three sub-disciplines: igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic petrology.

Geochemistry

- Geochemistry involves the study of the chemical composition of the Earth and its rocks and minerals, as well as
the chemical processes and reactions that govern the composition of rocks and soils.

Geophysics

- Geophysicists use physical principles to study the Earth's shape, magnetic fields, internal structure and
composition, and the surficial processes of the Earth.

Engineering Geology

- This deals with the application of geological knowledge in the field of civil engineering, for execution of safe,
stable and economic constructions like dams, bridges and tunnels.

Mining Geology

- deals with the application of geological knowledge in the field of mining. A mining engineer is interested in the
mode and extent of occurrences of ores, their association, tenor, properties and other physical parameters.
Such details of mineral exploration, estimation and exploitation are dealt with in mining geology.
Geohydrology

- This may also be hydrogeology. It deals with the occurrence, movement and nature of groundwater in an area.
In general, geological, geophysical and hydrological studies are together taken up for ground water
investigations.

Importance in Civil Engineering

1. Site Investigation – before any construction project begins, civil engineers must thoroughly understand the site’s
geological conditions. This includes studying soil and rock types, groundwater conditions, and the potential for
natural hazards such as landslides, earthquakes and sinkholes.

2. Borehole Log – the following must be presented in the body:

• Elevation
• Material Graphic
• Description
• Sample Location
• Blows per foot
• Drilling Method
• Coordinates of Boreholes

3. Material Selection – the geological composition of an area can determine the availability and suitability of
construction materials, such as aggregates for concrete, stone for masonry and clay for bricks
4. Foundation Design – the type of foundation required for a structure depends on the baring capacity of the
ground which is a geological consideration
- Knowledge of soil mechanics and rock properties is essential to design foundations that can support the weight
of the structure without excessive settlement.
5. Slope Stability – Civil engineers must understand the geological factors that influence slope stability to prevent
landslides and other ground movements that could comprise the integrity of structures or pose risks to human
safety.
6. Tunneling and Excavation – When designing tunnels, underground structures or open pits, civil engineers must
consider the geological conditions that could affect the stability and safety of these excavations. This includes
understanding the rock mass quality, fault lines, groundwater conditions and the stress regime in the earth.
7. Rock Mass Classification – Engineers use systems like the Rock Mass Rating (RMR) or the Q-system to classify the
quality of rock mass. This helps in designing the support systems required to stabilize the tunnel or excavation.
8. Rock Quality Designation – The Rock Quality Designation Index (RQD) was developed by Deere at 1967 to
provide a quantitative estimate of rock mass quality from drill core logs. RQD is defined as the percentage of
intact core places longer than 100mm (4inches) of the total length of the core.
9. Excavatability

Origin of the universe

- Big bang Theory – universe was formed from an infinitely dense and hot core of material
- Spectroscopy confirms that hydrogen makes about 74% OF ALL MATTER in the universe

Birth of a Star

- stars start with elements floating in cold, spinning cloud of gas and dust known as NEBULAS
- in the center of the disk shape a new star is born under the force of gravity
 • Fusion is not a chemical reaction; it is a nuclear reaction which are formed together and combine creating a new
larger atom
• Hydrogen combines or fuses with other hydrogen atoms in the core of a star and turns to helium
• Star turns hydrogen into helium
• Supernova – most energetic explosion in the universe short of the bigbang
• Death stars can lead to creation of white dwarfs, neutron stars or black holes.
• Nebular Hypothesis – idea that a spinning cloud of dust made of mostly light elements called a nebula, flattened
into protoplanetary disk and became a solar system consisting of a star with oribiting planets
• Inner four planets are rocky
• Outer four planets becoming gas plants

Origin of the moon

• Giant- Impact hypothesis – proposes a body about half of the Earth’s size must have shared at least parts of the
Earth’s orbit and collided with it which results in a violent mixing and scattering of material from both objects

Origin of the Earth’s water

• Origin of Earth’s water include volcanic outgassing, comets and meteorites
• All volcanic eruptions contain some water vapor
• Comets are a mixture of dust and ice

3 main chemical layers

- Crust: outermost layer; consists mainly of silicate rocks; divided into continental crush (rich in granite) and the
oceanic crust (basaltic)
- Mantle: composed primarily of silicate rocks rich in magnesium and iron. Extends about 2,900 km
- Core: deepest layer; composed mainly of iron and nickel

PHYSICAL LAYER OF THE EARTH

- Lithosphere: outermost layer; includes the crust and the uppermost part of the mantle; rigid and is divided into
tectonic plates that float in the ductile layer beneath; varies in thickness
- Asthenosphere: beneath the lithosphere; relatively viscous, mechanically weak and ductile region; extends 100
km to 700 km; plates move in top of it
- Mesosphere; Lower Mantle; 2,900 km; more rigid than the asthenosphere due to increasing pressure; composed
of silicate materials but the minerals here can flow very slowly
 - Outer core: liquid layer which is composed of iron and nickel with some lighter elements such as hydrogen and
oxygen; 2900 km to 5,150 km; creates the magnetic field through the dynamo effect
- INNER CORE: composed of iron-nickel alloy and other elements; remains solid due to the immense pressure at
the center of the Earth; extends from 5,150 km to 6, 371 km; grows slowly as the Earth cools

GEOLOGIC PLATES 600MYA

- 500 million years ago; super continent RODINA split apart

- colliding tectonic plates created mountain ranges and a shift in global climate allowed glaciers to spread as far as
the equator
- new supercontinent names Pannotia formed in the south polar region

GEOLOGIC PLATES 500 MYA

- chunk of the Pannotia drifted north and split into 3-masses forming Laurentia, Baltica and Siberia
- in shallow waters, the first multicellular animals with exoskeletons appeared

GEOLOGIC PLATES 200 MYA

- dinosaurs roamed the Pangaea, which is surrounded by Panthalassic OCean

GEOLOGIC PLATES 100 MYA

- Pangaea broke apart

GEOLOGIC PLATES 50 MYA

- Dino extinction
- Himalaya was formed
- collision of Africa into Europe

GEOLOGIC PLATES TODAY

- North and South America

- Split of the Australian continent from Australian continent from Antartica changed global ocean currents and
climate

CONTINENTAL DRIFT

- hypothesis that continents have moved the Earth’s surface to their current locations
- Alfred Wegener
-