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Introduction to Geotechnical
Engineering Applications
Earth Composition
Earth: 70% Water
30% Rock and Soil
Rock may be classified into:
• Igneous
• Sedimentary
• Metamorphic
Due to weathering (due to
environmental and man-made
factors), rock breaks down to soil.
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Types of Rocks
What is soil?
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Subsurface Site Investigation
Mechanical Drill Rig Cable Percussion Rig
Subsurface Site Investigation
Solid Stem Continuous Flight Auger Drilling System
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Subsurface Site Investigation
Hollow Stem Continuous Flight Auger Drilling System
Subsurface Site Investigation
Common Insitu Tests
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Subsurface Site Investigation
Geophysical Testing – Seismic Refraction
Laboratory Soil Testing – Index Tests
Sieve Analysis
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Laboratory Soil Testing – Index Tests
Plasticity Indices
Laboratory Soil Test – Shear Strength
Triaxial Testing
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Laboratory Soil Testing – Consolidation
Oedometer
Problem Modeling
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Transportation
Geotechnical engineers are responsible to ensure that roads,
highways and railroads are properly, designed and maintained.
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Foundations
All buildings, bridges, towers, antennas, and essentially everything
you see around has a foundation that is carefully designed by a
geotechnical engineer to transfer the loads to the ground.
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Earthquake Engineering
Geotechnical engineers are responsible to protect public safety by
designing civil infrastructure during earthquakes.
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Underground Infrastructure
Geotechnical engineers are responsible for the design and
construction of tunnels, subways, and underground facilities that
are used in subways, underground highways, railroads, waterways
and waste storage.
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Dams
Geotechnical engineers are responsible for the design,
construction, maintenance and monitoring of thousands of dams
that are providing water storage.
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Landfills
Geotechnical engineers are involved in the design of landfills to
ensure that solid waste is isolated from the environment and that
public health is protected.
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Subsurface Characterization
Geotechnical engineers perform a variety of tests on site or the
laboratory to characterize the subsurface conditions.
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Offshore
Geotechnical engineers are responsible for the stability of
foundations of offshore platforms and energy facilities that are
used for oil and gas extraction as well as wind power.
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Ground Improvement
Geotechnical engineers use principles of physics and chemistry to
modify the characteristics of the subsurface so that it can support
civil infrastructure that it would not be able to otherwise.
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Deep Excavation
Geotechnical engineers are responsible to ensure the stability of
excavations, by shoring. This allows the execution of deep
excavation in crowded areas.
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There is more to us than what meets the eye
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