Engineering Geology: Geotechnical and Environmental EARTH4084

  • Academic Session: 2024-25
  • School: School of Geographical and Earth Sciences
  • Credits: 20
  • Level: Level 4 (SCQF level 10)
  • Typically Offered: Semester 1
  • Available to Visiting Students: Yes
  • Collaborative Online International Learning: No

Short Description

This course introduces concepts and techniques in practical engineering geology, and their application to engineering projects such as buildings and tunnels and slope and ground stabilisation. Practical skills including logging rock and soil to industry standards, and assessing environmental constraints will be developed in exercises, some potentially with industry partners.

Timetable

Two classes per week for 5 weeks (held as 3-hour workshop), including site visit.

Requirements of Entry

Normally completion of Level 3 Geology courses or Level 3 Environmental Geoscience courses at a mean of D3.

Excluded Courses

EARTH4006 - Engineering Earth Science

Co-requisites

None

Assessment

Set exercises (60%)

Integrated site investigation report (40%)

Are reassessment opportunities available for all summative assessments? Not applicable for Honours courses

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Course Aims

To provide a detailed theoretical and practical account of the application of the geosciences to the engineering geology and geotechnical/environmental engineering industries.

Intended Learning Outcomes of Course

By the end of this course students will be able to:

 

■ Explain the main methods, equipment and testing used in intrusive ground investigations (including the set-up, drilling and logging of a borehole and a trial pit)

■ Describe soil and core samples in accordance with British Standards regulations and produce borehole and trial pit logs

■ Explain the principles of risk-based assessment of contaminated land and undertake qualitative and quantitative environmental risk assessments

■ Use geological and historical maps and a field survey, in order to critically assess the ground conditions and historical development of a site and identify geotechnical and environmental constraints to development

■ Quantitatively assess whether structures may be supported on shallow foundations, or whether piling and/or ground improvement is required and outline environmental remediation strategies.

■ Quantitatively assess whether slopes are stable and appraise appropriate methods of slope and ground stabilisation.

Minimum Requirement for Award of Credits

Students must submit at least 75% by weight of the components (including examinations) of the course's summative assessment.