Geology Applied to Engineering

West purposely developed a versatile text for bridging the gap between geology and civil engineering that can be used in engineering geology courses taught by either geologists or engineers. Mindful that students enrolled in these courses have diverse backgrounds, the author provides basic information on minerals and rocks, geological processes, and geological investigation techniques. He addresses the relationship of physical aspects of geology to engineering construction and explains how to recognize and provide for geologic factors that affect the location, design, construction, and maintenance of engineering projects.

Engineering applications throughout the text emphasize the direct association of geology and engineering, while sufficient depth in geologic subjects provides a working knowledge of applied geology. Exercises at the end of each chapter are designed for chapter review and problem solving. Some of the end-of-chapter exercises form the basis for laboratory studies on minerals, rocks, maps, geologic processes, and applied geology. Additional problem sets give students an opportunity to relate geologic detail to engineering construction. The liberal array of photos, maps, and diagrams provide extra detail to clarify new concepts.

TABLE OF CONTENTS: 1. Origin and Development of the Earth

2. Minerals

3. Igneous Rocks

4. Sedimentary Rocks

5. Metamorphic Rocks

6. Engineering Properties of Rocks

7. Elements of Soil Mechanics

8. Rock Weathering and Soils

9. Stratigraphy and Geologic Time

10. Structural Geology

11. Running Water and River Systems

12. The Work of Glaciers

13. Physiographic Provinces and Engineering Considerations

14. Landslides, Subsidence, and Slope Stability

15. Ground-Water Geology

16. Coastal Processes

17. Arid Environments and Wind

18. Earthquakes and Geophysics

19. Subsurface Investigation and Site Selection

20. Engineering Geology and Environmental Geology

Appendix A: Identification of Minerals and Rocks

Appendix B: Topographic Maps