Chap1-Introduction

to Engineering
geology
Rosina Mali
Engineering geology????
• Engineering Geology is an applied discipline of geology that relies heavily on
knowledge of geologic principles and processes.
• Engineering Geology, basically, is applied geology.
• Specifically, it is the application of geologic information to solving the problems
and minimizing the adverse effect in any civil and geo-technical engineering
works.
• Basically it includes
• Evaluation of natural hazards
• Evaluation of landscape for site selection
• Evaluation of earth materials for potential issues 2
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Engineering geological system(EGS)
Parameters for evaluation of EGS • Why EGS????
• The lithology of the intact-rock • To avoid excessive investment of
• Tectonics of the area time and money in order to get the
• Structural geological information required geological system EGS is
• Mechanical properties of the rock required
mass • Engineering geological system
• Mechanical behavior of ground should be performed in every
mass, phases of civil engineering
projects
• Seismicity
• Hydrogeological conditions

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 Engineering geological tasks at different phases of the EGS
Phase Task for study

Project Setting of the problem and development of the concept for the project. Preliminary information about regional
Definition geology, topography and climate
Prefeasibility Regional geological information with reference to the existing geological maps air photo interpretation.
Inspection Visit to the project area and preliminary geological survey including possible alternative sites
Feasibility Engineering geological mapping of the project area and along alternative sites surface and subsurface
geotechnical information of the selected sites based on the geophysical survey supported with limited core
drillings
Estimation of the mechanical behavior of the intact rock and rock mass based on the previous experiences and
supported by some laboratory tests
Detail Design Detail engineering geological mapping of the selected alignment, different sites rock mapping of the particular
site for the stability analysis and design of the support system in demand
Surface and Subsurface information of the site based on adequate geophysical methods and supplementary core
drilling. Insitu as well as laboratory tests
Construction Engineering geological logging along the tunnel or road corridor
Excavation Stability analysis and supporting measures
Continuous supervision by engineering geologist, civil and mining engineers
Maintenance Regular inspection and monitoring in view of stability of surface slope after the construction and the stability of
the excavation surface of the undergrad structure
Geotechnical category of the project

Its divided into three categories:

• Categories 1: Categories 3:
• - relatively small structure - Structures which fall outside the limits of

• - Fundamental requirements will be satisfied on the basis of experience categories 1 and 2

and qualitative geotechnical investigations
- Structures in highly seismic area
• -Negligible risk
- Abnormal risks or unusual ground
• -Simplified design procedures applied
conditions.
• Categories 2:
• - Conventional types of structures with no exceptional risk
• -Design includes quantitative geotechnical data and analysis to ensure that
the fundamental requirements are satisfied.

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Rock Forming Minerals

• There are only few minerals (less than 100) form the great amount of the rocks of the earth crust.
These most common minerals have been grouped as rock forming minerals.
• Among these rock forming minerals, only about 25 minerals make almost 99.5% of the rocks.
• There are 10 groups of these most common rock forming minerals.
• About 8% of the earth crust is made up of silicate minerals.
• Silicate minerals
1. The Feldspar Group 3. Amphibole Group
(Na, K, Ca)AlSi3O8 (Ca,Mg,Fe,Mn,Na,K)7(Si4O11)(OH)2
4. Mica Group
2. Pyroxene Group
(K,Na,Li,Mg,Fe)Al3Si3O10(OH)2
(Ca,Na,Al,Li)SiO3

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Oxide Minerals
Oxide minerals are second large occurring rock forming minerals.
1. Quartz (SiO2)
It is hard and resistant to weathering. It has no cleavage and partings. It has
different colored varieties that have economic importance.
2. Corundum (Al2O3)
It is very hard and resistant mineral. It has a number of gem varieties.
3. Spinel (MgAl2SiO4)
It is also hard as quartz and resistant.
Carbonate Minerals
There are a few carbonate minerals, which are very important rock forming minerals:
1. Calcite (CaCO3)
Limestone is composed of high percentage of calcite. Marble is recrystallized form
of calcite.
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[Link] [Ca,Mg(CO3)2]
It occurs in massive forms with extending for kilometers across. It contains a
significant amount of magnesium and can be used economically.
[Link] (MgCO3)

It is useful as refractory material and source of magnesium.

Others Group:
1. Sulphate Group e.g. gypsum
2. Phosphate Group e.g. apatite
3. Halide Group e.g. Fluorite
4. Sulphide Group e.g. galena, cinnabar
5. Native minerals e.g. gold, graphite, diamond sulphur

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Engineering significance of rock forming minerals

Topographical controls
• Erosion rate of rock forming minerals
• Topographical breaks - steepness or smoothness
• Karst Topography – controlled by Limestone
• Groundwater control
Strength of Rock Forming Minerals
▪ Hard and soft nature of different minerals
▪ Engineering design and site investigation controlled by strength of minerals
▪ Quality of construction materials are controlled by strength of minerals
▪ Clay minerals like kaolinites swells with water and therefore creates hazardous site for
engineering structures.
▪ The rock containing silicates are generally resistant towards weathering.

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Engineering
geological map???
• An engineering geological map is a
type of geological map which
provides a generalized
representation of all those
components of a geological
environment of significance in land
use planning and in design,
construction and maintenance as
applied to civil and mining
engineering

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Fig: Engineering geological map of Kathmandu
10
valley
Geological features represented on
engineering geological map
• The character of the rocks and soils, including their distribution, stratigraphically and structural
arrangement, age, genesis, lithology, physical state and their physical and mechanical properties
• Hydrogeological conditions, including the distribution of water bearing soils and rocks, zones of
saturated open discontinuities, depth of water table and its range of fluctuation, regions of confined
water and piezometric levels, storage coefficients, direction of flow, springs, rivers, lakes and the
limits and occurrence interval of flooding, pH, salinity, corrosiveness
• Geomorphological conditions, including surface topography and important elements of landscape
• Geodynamic phenomena, permafrost, slope movements, formation of karstic conditions, suffusion,
subsidence, volume changes in soil, data on seismic phenomena including active faults, current
regional tectonic movements and volcanic activity
Engineering geological maps should include interpretative cross sections and an explanatory text
and [Link] may also include documentation data which have been collected for the
preparation of [Link] than one map sheet may be required to show all this information
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Classification of engineering geological
maps
Purpose

Engineering geological
map

Content Scale

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• Special purpose: • Analytical map: giving details of or • Large scale: 1:10000
providing information evaluating individual components od
the geological environment. Their and greater
either on one specific content is as a rule, expressed in title,
aspect of engineering for example map of weathering grades,
geology of for one specific jointing map, seismic hazard map • Medium scale:less than
purpose • Comprehensive map: Those are of 1:10000 and greater
two kinds- they may be maps of
engineering geological conditions than 100000
depicting of all principal components
• Multipurpose: Providing of engineering geological map or they
information covering
may be engineering geological zoning, • Small scale: 1:100000
evaluating and classifying individual
many aspects of territorial units. These two types may and less
engineering geology for a be combined in scale maps
variety of planning and • Auxiliary map: these present the
engineering purposes factual data. E.g.: documentation
maps, structural contour maps
• Complementary maps: These include
geological, tectonic,geomorphological,
pediological, geophysical and
hydrogeological map
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Assignment
• Define Engineering geology. Why is engineering geology important in the field of civil
engineering?
• Why EGS is important? What are the tasks that are to be done in the different phases of
engineering geological system?
• Why is EGS important in the context of Nepal?

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