Harihara, Japan landslide
(Shimokawa & Takashi Jitousono, 2000)
(Shimokawa & Takashi Jitousono, 2000)
Silo collapse
(M. Bozozuk, 2001)
(M. Bozozuk, 2001)
Teton Dam failure
(Sylvester, 2004)
(Sylvester, 2004)
Spring 2005
Engineering Geology
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Harihara, Japan landslide (Shimokawa & Takashi Jitousono, 2000) |
Silo collapse (M. Bozozuk, 2001) |
Teton Dam failure (Sylvester, 2004) |
| Index |
Week of |
Lecture Topic |
Lab Topic |
Reading* |
1/14 |
Introduction, Mechanics | Force, stress calculations | Chaps. 1,4 |
1/21 |
Rock mechanics |
Rock failure and the Mohr circle |
4 |
1/28 |
Rock mass characterization | Geometrical analysis of discontinuities | 4 |
2/4 |
Soils | Soil classification | 3 |
2/11 |
Soil mechanics | Engineering properties of soils | 5 |
2/18 |
Soil mechanics | Engineering properties of soils | 5 |
2/25 |
Foundation design | Foundation design | 5 |
3/4 |
Slope stability | Map/air photo recognition of slope failure | 6 |
3/11 |
SPRING BREAK | ||
3/18 |
Stability of rock slopes | ROCKPACK – Rock slope stability analysis | 6 |
3/25 |
Stability of rock slopes | STABL – Soil slope stability analysis | 6 |
4/1 |
Subsurface Investigations - Seismic methods | Seismic refraction field exercise | 12 |
4/8 |
Subsurface Investigations - Electrical methods | Resistivity field exercise | 12 |
4/15 |
Flood hazards | Class project | 8 |
4/22 |
Land subsidence | Class project | 9 |
4/29 |
Landuse Planning | Presentation of class project | 14 |
*Text Engineering Geology - An Environmental Approach (2nd Edition), by Perry H. Rahn
| Grading | 2 Hour exams (2/25, 4/24) | 35% |
| Comprehensive final (5/9) | 20% | |
Class participation |
5% | |
Lecture |
60% | |
| Lab exercises | 25% | |
Class project |
15% | |
Lab |
40% |
Office Hours MTWF 10:30 or by appointment; 190 or 253 Overman Hall
Objectives – The overall objective of the lecture portion of Engineering Geology is to demonstrate the importance of Geology in making engineering decisions. By the end of the course, you should be able to: (1) characterize the engineering properties of rocks and soils; (2) understand the parameters that are important in proper foundation design; (3) assess the stability of rock and soil slopes; (4) use seismic and electrical methods to investigate the subsurface, and (5) develop a rational construction plan incorporating all relevant aspects of geology.
Expectations – I teach the lecture portion of this course in an interactive fashion. Therefore, you need to participate as much as possible. Your contributions to class discussions and exercises benefits not only you, but your classmates. It also comprises 5% of your grade.
The course is necessarily quantitative. It is important that you become comfortable with mathematical analysis as it relates to material properties, slope stability, foundation design, etc. You can expect healthy doses of trigonometry, algebra, and some calculus.
Objectives – The general objective of the lab portion of the Engineering Geology course is to give you hands-on experience with methods and problems commonly encountered by engineering geologists. Some of the labs consist of problem sets. Others will be presented in the form of a practical problem for which you will be expected to develop a plan of attack as well as a solution. Several labs will be done as a team with an assigned leader. The last three weeks will be spent on an extended class project which will require considerable amount of teamwork.
Expectations – I expect that you will be present at every lab: they will not be repeated. When you are assigned as a team leader for a group project, you are expected to manage the project, assign duties, and assemble the final report. You will evaluate each of your team members for their contribution to the project and they will evaluate you for your management skills. Because most of the labs and projects will require calculations and display of data, I expect that you already have a good working knowledge of Excel. Handwritten tables and graphs will not be accepted in assignments that you turn-in.
Materials needed for first and subsequent labs
1. three-ring notebook for the tons of handouts you will receive
2. pencils, protractor (full circle type is best), compass (drawing type), cm scale, two plastic triangles of same angles (e.g., 30-60-90 or 45-45-90)
3. tracing paper
4. calculator
1. Background information - The Word files below contain background information to supplement materials used in lecture and lab.
American Society of Civil Engineers
Association of Engineering Geologists
Earthquake Engineering Research Institute
Engineering Geology Division of the Canadian Geotechnical Society
FEMA landslide factsheet
GSA's Engineering Geology Division
International Association for Engineering Geology and the Environment
International Landslide Research Group
Landslide News
National Soil Mechanics Center
International Society for Rock Mechanics
USGS homepage
USGS landslides homepage