LIWANAG, RUBY ANNE P.

CE-2202 / SCI-405 GEOLOGY

Discuss the importance/application of geology (branches of geology) in the different field of

civil engineering.

The civil engineering profession is concerned with the built environment. Civil engineers
plan, design, and construct major facilities, including highways, transit systems, airports, dams,
water and wastewater treatment systems, tunnels, energy facilities, harbors, canals, buildings,
and bridges. Civil engineers manage our air, water, and energy resources and protect society
from natural catastrophes, such as earthquakes, and the hazards society itself generates in the
form of toxic wastes. However, geologists contribute to the work of civil engineers. Geology is a
subject learning subsurface formation in general without its engineering properties for design.
It’s for exploration and preliminary assessment. Geotechnical engineering is the most important
subject in civil engineering because it deals with engineering properties of the soil which the
structure will be built.

Geology is the study of the earth, its origin, structure, composition, and history. There are
many forms of geology, including economic geology, planetary geology, and engineering
geology. Engineering geology is a very important topic for structural engineers to understand as
it helps them properly plan a project when considering the design, location, and other important
geological factors. Engineering geology helps ensure a safe and cost-effective design for
construction projects. Gathering geological information for a project site is important in the
planning, design, and construction phase of an engineering project. Conducting a detailed
geological survey of an area before commencing a project will reduce the overall cost of the
project. Common foundational problems in dams, bridges, and other buildings are typically
directly related to the geology of the area where they were constructed.

Construction engineering and management is no simpler today and both beginner and
experienced engineers find it difficult to come to terms with this subject. Construction engineers
engage in the design of temporary structures, quality assurance and quality control, building and
site layout surveys, on site material testing, concrete mix design, cost estimation, planning and
scheduling, safety engineering, materials procurement, selection of equipment and cost
engineering and budget. In a major engineering project, each of these stages might be carried out
and reported on by a consultant specializing in geology, geophysics or engineering (with a
detailed knowledge of soil or rock mechanics). However, even where the services of a specialist
consultant are employed, an engineer will have overall supervision and responsibility for the
project. The engineer must therefore have enough understanding of geology to know how and
when to use the expert knowledge of consultants, and to be able to read their reports intelligently,
judge their reliability, and appreciate how the conditions described might affect the project.

Geotechnical engineering is a specialization within civil engineering that concerned with

the analysis, design and construction of foundations, slopes, retaining structures, embankments,
tunnels, levees, wharves, landfills and other systems that are made of or are supported by soil or
rock wherein study in geology is necessary. From a scientific perspective, geotechnical
engineering largely involves defining the soil’s strength and deformation properties. It is the
study of the behavior of soils under the influence of loading forces and soil-water interactions.
This knowledge is applied to the design of foundations, retaining walls, earth dams, clay liners,
and geosynthetics for waste containment. This branch of engineering plays a key role in all civil
engineering projects built on or in the ground for the assessment of natural hazards.

Water resources engineering is a profession that deals with the provision of water for the
use of humans and the different development techniques for the prevention from floods. Water
resources engineering also includes planning and management of facilities such as canals for
irrigations, sewers for drainage to avoid waterlogging and all other to control the usage and
preservation of water. Geologists play a key role in maintaining clean water and planning non-
contaminating waste disposal facilities. By developing good geological maps with additional
data on water wells and rivers geologists can advise county councils on areas that may be
vulnerable to pollution from poor or unsuitable development.

Consequently, a branch of civil engineering, specifically transportation engineering, is

the one accountable with the design, operation, planning and management of transportation
infrastructure, mobility service, traffic, and travelers for various travel modes with the
application of technology and scientific principles. Transportation engineering geologists are
called on to perform various duties for a public agency or consulting firm. The responsibilities of
Engineering Geologists within the transportation industry vary as widely as the geology of the 50
States. Their principal responsibilities include exploration and classification of earth materials,
geologic mapping, geomorphology, geologic hazard identification, groundwater, geologic
processes, rock discontinuity characterization.
Environmental engineers are expected to utilize the studied fundamental principles drawn
from physics, chemistry, geology and biology with analytical methods to develop solutions to
environmental problems. Practitioners focus on developing devices, techniques and solutions to
improve recycling, waste disposal, public health, and water and air pollution control. They also
address global issues, such as unsafe drinking water, climate change, and environmental
sustainability. Environmental geology may be defined as the interaction of humans with their –
fundamentally geological – environment. The environment can be considered to consist of both
the constituents of the Earth itself (rocks, sediments, and fluids) and its surface and the processes
that operate to change it through time.
 Civil engineers might face different problems in their project so the knowledge of
geology is necessary. Civil engineers should understand geology and how to evaluate a site
before a construction project. Geology plays an important role in the construction industry in
terms of maintaining a healthy environment and in the planning of large-scale infrastructure.

References:
https://www.schoolofpe.com/blog/2017/05/importance-of-geology-in-structural-
engineering.html
https://civilengineeringbible.com/article.php?i=36

https://www.gsi.ie/en-ie/geoscience-topics/construction-and-engineering/Pages/Geology-and-
Engineering.aspx

https://trid.trb.org/view/1480125
https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/earth-and-planetary-sciences/environmental-geology