Lecturer: Claudia Meisina  

Course name: Engineering Geology (mn)
Course code: 500475
Degree course: Ingegneria per l'Ambiente e il Territorio
Disciplinary field of science: GEO/05
University credits: CFU 6
Course website: n.d.

Specific course objectives

Engineering Geology is aimed at studying the engineering and environmental problems which may arise as a result of the interaction between geology and human activities. The main goal of the course is to improve the knowledge of geological and geomorphological processes, developing skills in the analysis of their effects on civil engineering design. On completion of this course, students will be able to: make preliminary site assessments on the basis of desk-study information; plan a programme of site investigation, selecting suitable invasive and non-invasive ground techniques; contribute to geological hazard assessment and to the development of measures for prevention and remediation of geological hazards.

Course programme

Classification of soil and rock for engineering purposes

• Types of minerals.
• Types of rock and origin: igneous (extrusive and intrusive), sedimentary and metamorphic.
• Weathering processes, transportation and sedimentation processes, structure, texture and classification, surficial deposits.
• Sources of geomaterials for engineering construction and their uses within engineering geology.

Geological structures

• Fractures, faults, folds

Geological hazards
Major geological hazards geological considerations in design of constructed facilities and infrastructure, causes and classification of landslides, mitigation of landslide hazard, cause and effect of earthquakes on constructed facilities and infrastructure.

Geomorphology
Fluvial and glacial processes, landforms and deposits

Subsurface exploration
Invasive and non-invasive sub-surface investigation, drilling and sampling, geophysical methods.

Subsurface water
Sources, aquifer, aquiclude, water table, Artesian groundwater in soil and rock, springs, hydraulic conductivity and its measurement, Darcy’s law, well hydraulics, well yield, water capacity of rock, lowering of water table and subsidence.

Engineering geology in construction
Geologic investigations for site selection of dams, reservoirs, tunnels, bridges and highways

Laboratory work
Rock type identification, Geological maps interpretation

Course entry requirements

Chemistry, Physics

Course structure and teaching

Lectures (hours/year in lecture theatre): 30
Practical class (hours/year in lecture theatre): 30
Practicals / Workshops (hours/year in lecture theatre): 0

Suggested reading materials

L. Scesi, M. Papini & P. Gattinoni. Geologia Applicata, Il rilevamento geologico-tecnico, Vol. 1-2. Casa Editrice Ambrosiana, Milano.

C. Meisina. Dispense del corso di Geologia Applicata.

Gonzales de Vallejo. Geoingegneria . Pearson Education Italia.

Testing and exams

There will be a final (written) examination, based on questions intended to assess the knowledge and understanding of the topics covered by the course.