THE HISTORY OF ENGINEERING GEOLOGY
Name: Jeremiah Oladipupo
School: Federal University of Technology, Minna, Nigeria
Genre: Engineering Geology/Geotechnical
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Engineering Geology was established by Prof. Karl Von Terzaghi, (1883 – 1963), an American based Austrian 1938.
Engineering Geology can be defined as the application of geosciences to the solution of engineering problems. In terms of scope, it is geology for engineers combined with geotechnics (Geotechnical Engineering).
Geology for engineers includes aspects of geosciences such as Petrology (study of rocks), Structural Geology, Applied Geochemistry, Applied Geophysics, Mineralogy, Hydrogeology, Photo-geology and remote sensing. The application of earth sciences such as soil mechanics and rock mechanics is Geotechnics, or Geotechnology.
Terzaghi, a structural engineer specialized in the design of dams discovered that it was necessary to understand the geology of the environment for the location of a dam. This came as a result of the premature failure of most of the dams he designed with members of his team.
These failures necessitated the inclusion of geoscientists into his design team to help investigate site conditions via geological knowledge while he uses soil mechanics principles to analyze the soil conditions.
?As a result of the intrusion of this knowledge into dam construction, the engineers had to learn relevant aspects of geoscience while the geoscientists learnt relevant aspects of geotechnics. Hence, the emergence of Engineering Geology.
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Terzaghi, who was the brain behind modern soil mechanics with his well-known theory, “Principle of Consolidation for Clays” also became renowned as the father of Engineering Geology.
Engineering Geology is a multi-disciplinary subject as it cut across every knowledge that involves interactions with the earth.
Engineering Geology has gained wide applications in most parts of the world especially in pre-construction investigation for structures such as buildings, dams, roads and highways, bridges and tunnels.
It also plays an integral role in:
??Location and evaluation of construction materials such as lateritic soils, sands, gravels and quarry products.
??Environmental Impact assessment and auditing.
? Assessment of proposed dump sites.
??Prevention of natural hazards such as subsidence, flood, erosion, and landslide.
??Hydrocarbon, groundwater exploration, and mineral exploration.
??Earthquake vulnerability assessment of construction sites.
??Location and evaluation of raw materials like clays, shales, bitumen, etc. and
??Environmental protection.