CHAPTER 1 4.1 INTRODUCTION TO ENGINEERING GEOLOGY Engineering geologyhas been simply defined as the application of geological data, techniques and principles to the study of rock and soil surficial materials and ground water toengineering practice. This is essential for the proper location, planning, design, construction, operation and maintenance of engineering structures: Understanding geology and geologic principles is vital to the practice of geotechnical and civil engineering. Failure to appreciate the geologic context in which infrastructure failures and loss of life and property. is developed has lead to catastrophi Engineering geologistsprovide geological and geotechnical recommendations, analysis, and design associated with human development and various types of structures. The realm of the engineering geologist is essentially in the area of earth- structure interactions, of investigation of how the earth or earth processes impact human made structures and human activities. Engineering geology studies may be performed during the planning, environmental impact analysis, civil or structural engineering design, value engineering and construction phases of public and private works projects, and during post-construction and forensic phases of projects. Works completed by engineering geologists include; geological hazard assessments, aeotechnical, material properties, landslide and slope stability, erosion, flooding, dewatering, and seismic investigations, etc. Engineering geology studies are performed by a geologistor engineering geologist or Civil Engineerthat is educated, trained and has obtained experience related to the recognition and interpretation of natural processes, the understanding of how these processes impact human made structures (and vice versa), and knowledge of methods by which to mitigate against hazards resulting from adverse natural or human madeconditions, The principal objective of the engineering geologist is the protection of life and property against damage caused by various geological conditions. The practice of engineering geology is also very closely related to the practice of geological engineering and geotechnical engineering. If there is a difference in the content of the disciplines, it mainly lies in the training or experience of ‘the practitioner. 4.2 IMPORTANCE OF ENGINEERING GEOLOGY IN CIVIL ENGINEERING PRACTICES:- ¥ Itprovides knowledge about materials used for construction. Y Its knowledge is helpful for river control and shipping work. Y Its knowledge is helpful for constructing dams. ¥ Geotechnical engineers needs knowledge about this subject for digging work. ¥ Its knowledge is required for foundation faults. ¥ For design of highways and roads. ¥ Inconstruction of tunnels. ¥ Soil and rock tests are done before any project. Y Economical design is advanced Y Nature of soil and rock materials can be find out 1.3 BRANCHES RELATED TO ENGINEERING GEOLOGY Y Physical Geology: - Study of physical features of the earth like mountains soils, landscapes, rivers, lakes, oceans and glaciers. ¥ Petrology:-Study of rocks which includes the identification of rocks. This includes crystallographic studies (i.e study of minerals) Y Structural Geology:- Study of positions of rock units and their deformation (i.e. the structural features of the racks like folds, faults, joints etc) Y Stratigraphy: -Study of order of superposition of rocks (ie; Order in which rocks have been formed and deposited and their environmental history. ¥ Economic Geology:-Study of the Earth's natural resources, such as petroleum and Coal as well as mineral resources (which include metals i.e. Iron, Copper, uranium ete); which are of economic value.Y Mining Geology:-Study of applications of Geology in Mining. This consists of the extractions of mineral resources from the earth. Y Petroleum Geology:-Study of locations of Subsurface of the earth which contain extractable hydrocarbons especially petroleum and natural gas. Many of these reservoirs are found in sedimentary basins ¥ Paleontology:-Study of preserved ancient organic remains (called fossils) found within the rocks. VY Hydro-Geology:-Study of ground water which Is useful in locating ground water and provides a ready supply of uncontaminated water and to monitor the spread of contaminants in the ground wells. ¥ Seismology: Scientific study of earthquakes and the propagation of elastic waves through and around the Earth Y Volcanology (vulcanology):- Study of volcanoes, lava, magma, and related geological, geophysical and geochemical phenomena. The term Volcanology is derived from the Latin word yulcan. Vulcan was the ancient Roman god of fire 4.4THE STRUCTUREOF THE EARTH The structure of the Earth is divided into layers. These layers are both physically and chemically different The Earth has an outer solid layer called the crust, a highly Viscous layer called the mantle and a liquid layer that is the outer part of the core, called the outer core, and a solid center called the inner core. ‘The shape of the earth is an oblate spheroid, because itis slightly flattened at the poles and bulging at the equator The boundaries between these layers were discovered by seismographs which showed the way vibrations bounced off the layers during earthquakes. Between the Earth's crust and the mantle is a boundary called the moho. It was the first discovery of a major change in the Earth's structure as one goes deeper. a) The crust is the outermost layer of the Earth. It is made of solid rocks. It is mostly made of the lighter elements, silicon, oxygen, aluminum. Because of this, it isknown as sial (silicon = Si; aluminum = Al) or felsic. Its 133km thick. And density varies from 2.8 to 3.2, the boundary between crust and mantle is known as the “mohrovicic discontinuity". b) The mantle is the layer of the Earth right below the crust. It is made mostly of oxygen, silicon and the heavier element magnesium. It is known as sima (Si for silicon + ma for magnesium) or mafic. The mantle itself is divided into layers and boundary between mantle and core is called Gutenberg-weichert discontinuity. Density varies from 4 to 8. I's thickness is about 2900 km. V ‘The uppermost part of the mantle is solid, and forms the base of the crust. It ig made of the heavy rock peridotite, The continental and oceanic plates include both the crust proper and this uppermost solid layer of the mantle. Together this mass makes up the lithosphere. The lithosphere plates float ‘on the semi-liquid aesthenosphere below. ¥ Upper aesthenosphere: magma Y Lower asthenosphere ¥ Lower mantle ¢) The Earth's core is made of solid iron and nickel and is about 5000-6000°C. Y Outer core is a liquid layer below the mantle, Y Inner core is the very center of the Earth. It is very hot and, due to the high pressure, It is called as knife core. It's Density varies from 8 to 10. It's thickness is about 5270 Crust 0-100 km thick Not to scale 6378tm4.5References 4) Brock, 1923, The Education of a Geologist: Economic Geology. ¥- 18, pp. 595- 597. 2) Bates and Jackson, 1980, Glossary of Geology: American Geological Institute. 3) Gonzélez de Vallejo, L. and Ferrer, M., 2011 “Geological Engineering’. CRC Press, 678 pp. 4) Kiersh, 1991, The Heritage of Engineering Geology: The First Hundred Years: Geological Society of America; Centennial Special Volume 3 5) Legget, Robert F., editor, 1982, Geology under cies! Geological Society of sean Reviews in Engineering Geology, volume V, 131 pages: contarts nine arlcles by separate authors for these cities: Washington, OC; Boston; Chicago; aie em Kansas City, New Orleans; New York Cily; Toronto; and Twin Cities, Minnesota 6) Legget, Robert F., ant engineering: McGraw! d Karrow, Paul F., 1983, Handbook of geology in civil Hill Book Company, 1,340 pages, 50 chapters, five appendices, 771 illustrations. ISBN 0-07-037061-3 7) Pree, David George, Engineering Geology: Principles and Practice, Springer, 2008 ISBN 3-540-20249-7 y, Vikas Publishers, 8) Prof. D. Venkat Reddy, NIT-Karnataka, Engineoring Geolog} 2010 ISBN 978-81259-19032 9) Bulletin of Engineering Geology and the Environment