etn ene:
ENGINEERING
GEOLOGY
second edition
Tony WalthamFoundations of
Engineering Geology
TONY WALTHAM
BSc, DIC, PhD
Civil Engineering Department
Nottingham Trent University
Second Edition
London and New York.Preface
Civil engineering is an exciting combination of science, art,
professional skill and engineering achievement which always
has to rely on the ground on which its structures stand,
Geology is therefore vital to success in civil engineering, and
this book brings to the reader those many aspects of the
‘geological sciences specifically relevant tothe profession
This book is structured primarly for the student of civil
engineering who starts with no knowledge of geology but is
Fequired to understand the ground conditions and geological
processes which, both literally and metaphonecally. are the
foundations of his future professional activites. It'also
Provides an accessible source of information forthe practising
‘civil engineer.
Al the material is presentod in indwvidual doubie-page
‘spreads. Each subject is covered by notes, diagrams, tables
and case histories, all in bite-sized sections instead of being
lost in a long continuous text. This style makes the infor:
mation very accessible; the reader can dip in and find what
hhe needs, andis also visually quded into relevant associated
topics. There is even some intended repetition of small
sections of material which are pertinent to more than one
aspect within the interrelated framework of a geological
understanding
The contents of the book follow a basic university course
in engineering geology. The free-standing sections and sub-
‘sections permit infinite flexibility, so that any lecturer can use
the book as his course text while tailoring his programme to
his own personal styl. The single section summarizing soi
strength has been included for the benef of geology students
wo do not take a comprehensive course in soll mechanics
within a normal civil engineering syllabus.
Preface to the Second Edition
The second edition of this book has been carefully
updated and improved with additional paragraphs while
keeping to the format and structure that has proved s0
accessible and so popular.
‘The one new section is #37, Understanding Ground
Conditions, which has been included in an attempt at
Persuading the engineer to stand back and take a broader
View ofthe overall g2ology at a site. Though this may seem
to lack relevance in assessing the smaller details of a
single urban building site, it does have real benefits in
‘assessing ground conditions and evaluating potential
\geohazards on larger construction projects, The concept of
the big picture is always useful, and this is very much the
‘modern approach to engineering geology. Keeping to the
‘same theme of contemporary geology, a Dax on browntield
sites has been included in the new section.
This book was never intended to be a handbook with all
the answers and all the procedures. It is aimed to
introduce the critical aspects of geology to the student of
‘engineering, though it does appear to act as a convenient
‘The sectionalized layout makes the information very ac-
Cessible, so that the practicing engineer wil find the book to
be a useful source when he requires a rapid insight or re~
minder as he encounters geological problems with dificult
‘ground. Reterence material has therefore been added to
‘many sections, mainly in tabulated form, to provide a more
‘complete data bank. The book has been produced only in
the inexpensive sof-bound format inthe hope that it will each
as large a market as possible,
‘The mass of data condensed into these pages has been
drawn from an enormous variety of sources, The Book is
unashamedly a derived text. relying heavily on the world:
wide records of engineering geology. Material has been
accumulated over many years in a lecturing role. A few
‘concepts and case histories do derive from the author's
personal research; but forthe dominant pan, there is a debt
of gratitude acknowledged 10 the innumerable geologists and
Civil engineers who have described and communicated their
‘own experiences and research, All the figures have been
newly drawn, and many are derived from a combination of
‘disparate sources. All he photographs are by the author,
except for the Meridian air photograph on page 39,
Due thanks are atforded to the Department of Civil and
Structural Engineering at the Nottingham Trent University
where the engineering and teaching experience was gained,
to Neil Dixon for his assistance with the gentle art of soi
mechanics, to the staff of Blackia in Glasgow who made the
innovative style of the book possible, and to the many
colleagues and friends without whom nothing is possible.
™.
reminder to the practising engineer. To enhance its role as
source book, a long list of further reading nas been
‘added to this edition. It cites the useful key texts in each
‘subject area, and also the primary papers on case studies
used within the text, in both cases without any need to
include conventional references that can disrupt a text
‘As in the first edition, there are no cross references to
‘other pages in order to oxpiain terms being used. The
index is intentionally comprehensive, so that itcan be used
as a glossary. Each technical term in the text does appear
im the index, so that the reader can check for a definition,
usually atthe first citation of aterm,
Sincere thanks are recorded to Peter Fookes, lan
Jefferson, Mike Rosenbaum, Jerry Giles and various
‘others who have contributed to the revisions within this
‘second edition, and aiso to the students of Nottingham
Trent University who have road-tested the book and made
the author appreciate the minor omissions and irtations
that could be smoothed out.
Tw.Contents
Geology and Chil Engineering
Igneous Rocks
Surface Processes
Sedimentary Rocks
Metamorphic Rocks
Goological Structures
Geological Maps and Sections
Geological Map Intorpretation
Pate Tectonics
Boundary Hazards
Rocks of Britain
Rocks ofthe United States
‘Weathering and Soils
Floodplain and Aluvium
Glacial Deposits
Ciimatic Variants
Coastal Processes
Groundwater
Ground Investigation
Desk Study
Ground Investigation Boreholes
Geophysical Surveys
“Assessment of Dificult Ground
Fock Strength
Fock Mase Strength
Soll Strength
Ground Susidence
‘Subsidence on Clays
‘Subsidence on Limestone
Subsidence over Old Mines
Mining Subsidence
Stope Failure and Landslides
Water Landstias
Soil Falluros and Flowslides
Landside Hazards
Slope Stabilization
Understanding Ground Conditions
Rock Excavation
“Tunnels in Rock
‘Stone and Aggragate
‘Appendices
lock Mass Quality Q System
‘Abbreviations and Notation
Further Reading
SSSLSHLBRASBENSORSRVVSEISTESS AS 0evoTaune
Index
701 Geology and Civi
‘THE GEOLOGICAL ENVIRONMENT
Earth is an active planet in a constant state of change.
Geologles! processes continually modily the Earth's
surface, destroy old rocks, create new rocks and add 10
the complexity of round conditions.
{Cycle of geology encompasses al the maior processes,
‘which must be cycle, or they would grind to an inevitable
halt
Land: mainly erosion and rock destruction
‘Sea: mainly deposition, forming now sodimonts
Underground: new rocks created and deformed,
Earth movements are vital 16 the cycle; without them
the land would be eroded down to just blow sea level.
Plata toctonics provide the mechanism for nearly all cart
‘movernens (section 0). The hotinterior ofthe Earths the
Ultimate energy source which drives all geological
processes.
| Engineering
Geological time is an important concept. Earth s 4000M
years old and has evolved continuously towards Its
present form,
Most rocks oncountored by ongincors aro 10-500M
yoars old. They have been displaced and deformed over
time, and some are then exposed at the surtace, by
‘rosional removal of rocks that once lay above ther
Underground structures and the ground surface have
‘volved staal trough geological timo.
Most surface landforms visible today have been
‘carved out By erosion within the last few millon years,
While olor landtorms have been destroyed.
‘This time diference is important: the origin ofthe rocks.
al the surface may beat no relationship to the present
‘environment. The classic example is Mi Everest, whose
‘Summits imestono,formod in soa 300M years ago.
‘Geological time Is dificult to comprehend but it must be
accepted as the lime gaps account for many of the
Contrasts in ground conditions.
“Goncepie of soale aro inportantin geology:
senor | Beds of rook extending hundreds of kilometres across country.
Focke upited thousands of motes by eath movements
Fock structures reaching 1000 m below the ground surface
Strong Imestone erumpled ko plastiche by plato tectonics.
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‘SIGNIFICANCE IN ENGINEERING
Civil engineering works are all carted out on or in the
‘ground. Iis properties and processes are therefore
Significant ~ both the strengths of rocks and sols, and
the erosional and geological processes which subject
them to.continual change.
Unstable ground does exist, Some ground is not terra
fra’ and may lead to unstable foundations.
Site Investigation Is where most civil engineers
encounter geology. This involves the interprotation of
‘round conaibons fotten from minimal evidence), some
3D thinking, and the recognition of areas of aficut
‘round or potential geohazarct:
Untoreseen ground conditions can still occur, as
ground geology can be almost infinitely variabio, but
they are often unforescen due to inadequate’ site
invostigation,
Civil engineering design can accommodate almost
‘any ground condlions which are correct assessed and
Understood.
‘SOME ENGINEERING RESPONSES TO GEOLOGICAL CONDITIONS
Landslides wih over 100M tons of fang rock.
Earthquakes a millon times more powerul than an atom bomb,
the milions of years of goological tim.
‘Components of Engineering Geology
‘The main flelds of study ‘Sections in this book
Ground materials and stuctures 02-06
Regional characteristics ooi2
Surface processes and materials 18-18
‘Ground investigations 07,08,19-29,37'
Material properties be-26,40
Difficult ground conditions 27-36,98,99
Other aspects — fossils and historical goology, mineral