GEOLOGY IN ENGINEERING

Geology for Civil Engineers

GEOLOGY
 The word geology means
'Study of the Earth’. Also
known as geoscience or
earth science.
 Geology is the primary
Earth science and looks at
how the earth formed, its
structure and composition,
and the types of processes
acting on it.
 Geology describes the
structure of the Earth on
and beneath its surface,
and the processes that
have shaped that structure.
ENGINEERING GEOLOGY
 Engineering geology is the
application of geology to
engineering study for the
purpose of assuring that
the geological factors
regarding the location,
design, construction,
operation and maintenance
of engineering works are
recognized and accounted
for.
GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING
A branch of civil
engineering concerned with
the engineering behavior of
earth materials. It uses
principle from soil
mechanics and rock
mechanics in solution of
engineering problems and
in the design and
construction of buildings
and other structures.
IMPORTANCE OF GEOLOGY IN CIVIL ENGINEERING
 Geology provides a systematic study of the structure and properties of
construction materials and their occurrence. The civil engineers need to
know the properties of rocks accurately to enable them to consider
different rocks for any required purpose that is as a foundation rock, as
road material, as concrete aggregate, as building stones, as the roofing
material for decorative purpose.
 The selection of a site is important from the viewpoint of stability of
foundation and availability of construction materials. Geology provides
knowledge about the site used in the construction of buildings, dams,
tunnels, tanks, reservoirs, highways and bridges.
 Geology helps to identify area susceptible to failures due to geological
hazards such as earthquake, landslides, weathering effects, etc.
IMPORTANCE OF GEOLOGY IN CIVIL ENGINEERING
 The foundation problems of dams, bridges and buildings are directly
related to the geology of the area where they are to be built.
 The knowledge of groundwater is necessary for connection with
excavation works, water supply, irrigation and many other purposes.
Hydrological maps provide information about the distribution of surface
water channels and the groundwater depth.
 Geological maps help in planning civil engineering projects. It provides
information about the structural deposition of rock types in the
proposed area.
 Geology helps in determining the earthquake-prone areas. If any
geological features like faults, folds, etc. are found, they have to be
suitably treated to increase the stability of the structure.
 A geological survey of a site before starting a project will reduce the
overall cost.
GEOLOGIC DATA NEEDED IN CIVIL
ENGINEERING
GEOLOGICAL DATA NEEDED IN CIVIL ENGINEERING
 ENGINEERING PROPERTIES OF SOIL
 SEISMIC HAZARDS
 GROUNDWATER LOCATION AND OBSERVATION
 SOIL PROFILE AND GEOLOGIC FORMATION
 TOPOGRAPHY
ENGINEERING PROPERTIES OF THE SOIL
 Engineering properties of soils are those properties which can be used
for quantifying the engineering behaviour of soils. They can be listed as
given below,
 Permeability
 Seepage
 Compressibility
 Soil Bearing Capacity
 Shear Strength
 Soil Stresses
ENGINEERING PROPERTIES OF THE SOIL
PERMEABILITY
 Permeability is the property of the soil which permits water or any liquid
to flow through its voids.
 Soils are permeable due to the existence of interconnected voids
through which water can flow.
ENGINEERING PROPERTIES OF THE SOIL
 Different soils have different permeability.
ENGINEERING PROPERTIES OF THE SOIL
SEEPAGE
 The phenomenon of flow of water or the movement of water through
the soil is called seepage.
ENGINEERING PROPERTIES OF THE SOIL
 Seepage takes place when there is a difference in water levels on the
two sides of the structure such as dam or sheet pile.
ENGINEERING PROPERTIES OF THE SOIL
COMPRESSIBILITY
 The compressibility of soil is defined as the capability of soil to decrease
its volume under an externally applied load.
ENGINEERING PROPERTIES OF THE SOIL
SOIL BEARING CAPACITY
 Bearing capacity is the capacity of soil to support the loads applied to
the ground.
ENGINEERING PROPERTIES OF THE SOIL
SHEAR STRENGTH
 Shear strength of a soil is indicative of its resistance to erosion.
Specifically, it is defined as the resistance to deformation by the action
of tangential (shear) stress. Soil shear strength is made up of cohesion
between particles and resistance of particles sliding over each other due
to friction or interlocking.
ENGINEERING PROPERTIES OF THE SOIL
SOIL STRESSES
 TOTAL STRESS – Total
weight of all the material
above the soil layer per unit
surface area of the soil mass.
 PORE WATER PRESSURE –
pressure experienced by
water trapped in the voids in
a saturated soil mass.
 EFFECTIVE STRESS –
Approximately the force per
unit area carried by the soil
or intergranular particles.
SEISMIC HAZARDS
 A seismic hazard is the
probability that an earthquake
will occur in a given
geographic area, within a
given window of time, and
with ground motion intensity
exceeding a given threshold. A
seismic hazard map shows the
relative hazards in different
areas.
SEISMIC HAZARDS
SEISMIC HAZARDS
GROUNDWATER LOCATION AND OBSERVATION
 Groundwater is fresh water that located below the soil and is stored in
the tiny spaces (pores) between rocks and particles of soil.
 Groundwater is found in two zones. The unsaturated zone, immediately
below the land surface, contains water and air in the open spaces, or
pores. The saturated zone, a zone in which all the pores and rock
fractures are filled with water, underlies the unsaturated zone.
SOIL PROFILE AND GEOLOGIC FORMATION
SOIL PROFILE
The soil is the topmost layer of
the earth’s crust mainly composed
of organic minerals and rock
particles that support life. A soil
profile is a vertical cross-section of
the soil, made of layers running
parallel to the surface. These
layers are known as soil horizons.
SOIL PROFILE AND GEOLOGIC FORMATION
GEOLOGIC FORMATION
A geological formation, or simply
formation, is a body of rock
having a consistent set of physical
characteristics that distinguishes it
from adjacent bodies of rock, and
which occupies a particular
position in the layers of rock
exposed in a geographical region.
TOPOGRAPHY
Topography is the study of the
forms and features of land
surfaces. The topography of an
area may refer to the land forms
(mountains, valleys, rivers, or
craters on the surface) and
features themselves, or a
description or depiction in maps.
GEOLOGY
AND CONSTRUCTION
GEOLOGY AND CONSTRUCTION
 FOUNDATION CONSTRUCTION
 EARTH RETAINING STRUCTURES
 MINING CONSTRUCTION
 ROAD CONSTRUCTION
 SHEET PILING
 EXCAVATION AND EMBANKMENTS
 SOIL INVESTIGATION, SAMPLING AND TESTING
FOUNDATION CONSTRUCTION
The loads from any structure have to be ultimately transmitted to a soil
through the foundation for the structure. Thus, the foundation is an
important part of a structure, the type and details of which can be decided
upon only with the knowledge and application of the principles of soil
mechanics.
EARTH RETAINING STRUCTURES
Retaining walls and bulkheads can be designed and constructed only by
using the principles of soil mechanics and the concept of ‘soil-structure
interaction’.
ROAD CONSTRUCTION
Pavement Design may consist of the design of flexible or rigid pavements.
Flexible pavements depend more on the subgrade soil for transmitting the
traffic loads.
MINING CONSTRUCTION
Geotechnical engineering in the mining industry is a distinct and vital
discipline, seamlessly integrating principles from civil engineering, geology,
and mining engineering. This fusion creates a specialized field tailored to
address the specific challenges and needs of the mining sector.
SHEET PILING
Sheet Piling is used to provide temporary and permanent walls in the
construction industry. It can also be used as a deep foundation which are
used to support the structure and transfer the load at desired depth.
EXCAVATION AND EMBANKMENTS
Excavations require the knowledge of slope stability analysis. Likewise the
construction of embankments and earth dams where soil itself is used as the
construction material requires a thorough knowledge of the engineering
behaviour of soil.
SOIL INVESTIGATION, SAMPLING AND TESTING
Soil Investigation or geotechnical investigation is a procedure that
determines the stratigraphy (study of rocks) and relevant physical properties
of the soil underlying the site.
END OF LECTURE.
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