ENGINEERING

GEOLOGY

DR. RAMON D. QUEBRAL

Structural Geologist /Engineering Geologist
 CONTENTS

• INTRODUCTION
• SITE INVESTIGATION
• GEOLOGIC MATERIALS
• GEOLOGIC HAZARDS
 PART 1:
INTRODUCTION
Engineering Geology :
geology applied to
engineering projects
Engineering Projects:
dams (e.g. large dams, HEPPs,
irrigation, water, flood control,
tailings, SWIM)
power plants (e.g. geothermal, coal,
nuclear, wind power)
pipelines (e.g. oil & gas, water,
tailings)
tunnels (e.g. highways, water, mining),
shafts, caverns / underground space
roads & bridges
ports
landfills
reclamation
Sectors
• energy (large multipurpose dams,
HEPPs, geothermal plants,
nuclear plant)
• water resources (large dams,
reservoirs, pipelines, treatment
plants)
• infrastructure (roads & bridges,
flood control)
• mining (mine tunnels, open pit,
tailings dam, roads & port
facilities)
Non-Traditional Sectors
• land development (resorts,
high rise buildings,
subdivisions)
• agriculture (small water
impoundments)
• education (school buildings)
• finance
• insurance
need working knowledge of:

• geotechnical engineering
• soil mechanics
• rock mechanics
• foundation engineering
• construction methodology
• hydrology & hydrogeology
• structural geology
• geophysics
• geomorphology
• etc
Project Development Cycle
• pre-feasibility (options)
• feasibility study (indicative costs)
• detailed engineering design
• construction
• operation
• decommissioning

• each phase has its own budgetary

requirements
• increasing accuracy
• decision-making process at end of
each phase
Should be conscious of:

• design criteria, standards,

guidelines (e.g. ICOLD,
AASHTO, USBR, local building
codes)
• expected lifespan of project
 PART 2:
SITE
INVESTIGATION
 INVESTIGATION

“Everything is site-
specific and project-
specific.”
 INVESTIGATION
(Objectives)
• to describe the geologic material, their extent,
structure etc
• to define groundwater conditions w/ consideration of
seasonal changes & effects of construction or
development extraction
• to identify geohazards including unstable slopes,
faults, ground subsidence, etc.
• to identify possible sources of construction material
• to determine the excavatability of the material
• to collect samples for identification, classification &
measurement of engineering properties
 INVESTIGATION
(Methodology)

• surface investigation
• subsurface investigation
• sampling & testing
 INVESTIGATION
(Surface Exploration)

• interpretation of satellite
imagery, radar imagery,
aerial photographs,
topographic maps
• field mapping
 INVESTIGATION
(Subsurface Exploration)

• geophysics
• geotechnical drilling
• trenching
• test pitting
• aditing
 INVESTIGATION
(Testing)
• basic properties
– specific gravity
– moisture content
– density (natural, maximum,
minimum, optimum moisture
density)
– seismic velocities
 INVESTIGATION
(Testing)
• index properties
– grain size
– liquid limit
– plastic limit
– shrinkage limit
– organic content
 INVESTIGATION
(Testing)
• permeability
– constant head
– falling head
– consolidometer
 INVESTIGATION
(Testing)
• rupture strength
– triaxial shear
– direct shear
– simple shear
– unconfined compression
– vane shear
– pocket penetrometer
– california bearing ratio
 INVESTIGATION
(Testing)
• deformation (static)
– consolidation test
– triaxial shear test
– expansion test
An engineering geologist
should be able to design
an exploration program.
 What went wrong?
– site exploration program designed by
engineer w/o input from geologist
– vertical drillholes at regular intervals
w/o geological basis
– presence of compressible swamps
deposits between drillholes
– could have been detected by geologist
from aerial photographs and
topographic map
– cost of site visit by a geologist and
one additional drillhole is nothing
compared to cost of rehabilitation
 PART 3:
GEOLOGIC
MATERIALS
Geologic Materials
• rocks
• soils
• surface water
• subsurface water
• differentiate rock material from
soil material
• methods of investigations,
modes of failure & mitigation
measures will depend on
whether material is rock or soil.
• complete gradation exists
between rock & soil
 ROCKS
• intact rock strength
• RQD
• discontinuity sets (orientation,
spacing, density, separation,
persistence/continuity, roughness,
filling)
• weathering / alteration
• seepages
• faulting
 SOILS
(geological classification)
• residual
• colluvial
• alluvial: fluvial (riverbed, alluvial
fan, floodplain, rejuvenated);
estuarine, delta
• lacustrine
• aeolian
• glacial
 SOILS
(soil classification)

• USCS
• AASHTO
 SURFACE WATER

• flooding
• erosion & channel
migration
• scouring
• siltation
 SUBSURFACE WATER

• need to excavate in the dry (open

excavations & tunnels)
• reduce excessive pressure behind
walls
• provide for dry basements
• prevent hydrostatic uplift on slabs
• provide protection against
pumping on pavements
 SUBSURFACE WATER

• provide for slope stabilization

• protect against excessive
seepages (impoundments)
• prevent subsurface erosion or
piping
 CASE
STUDY

failure of
laterite
stockpile
causing
massive
siltation
Cause of Failure:
• presence of seepages beneath stockpile
• improper mitigation
 PART 4:
GEOLOGIC
HAZARDS
SEISMIC HAZARDS
• ground rupture
• ground acceleration
• EQ-induced landslides
• liquefaction
• settlement
• tsunami
• seiche
Ground Rupture

• active fault mapping

(morphostructural interpretation
of satellite imagery, radar
imagery, aerial photographs,
topographic maps; field mapping)
• paleoseismicity (trenching,
carbon-14 dating)
Ground Rupture
(engineering requirements)

• location
• geometry
• estimated amount of
displacement
• estimated direction of
displacement
Ground Rupture

• risk acceptance
• avoidance (e.g. high rise
buildings, power plants)
• design (e.g. embankments,
roads & bridges, buildings,
pipelines)
Philippine
Fault
1994 Aglubang Fault
Earthquake
Lanao Normal Faults
Lanao Normal
Faults
Ground Motion

Methodology:
• deterministic approach
• probablistic approach (does not
consider presence of seismic
gaps & aseismic faults)
Mitigation: incorporate in
design
Liquefaction

• usually occurs in Recent deposits

consisting of loose silt to fine sand w/
shallow groundwater levels & low SPT
N-values (N < 15) & from depths less
than 15 meters
• e.g. swamp deposits, alluvial deposits,
delta deposits
July 16, 1990 Earthquake
Dagupan City 1990 EQ
Dagupan City 1990 EQ
Dagupan City 1990 EQ
Liquefaction

Three levels of assessment:

• geologic mapping of aerial
photographs, topographic maps; basis
is geomorphology & geologic
environment)
• geologic assessment of borehole logs
(silt & fine sand; shallow ground water
levels; low SPT N-values)
• quantitative liquefaction potential
analysis (e.g. Seed & Idriss)
 Liquefaction
(mitigation)

•removal & replacement if

shallow
•deep foundation (driven or
bored piles)
•densification
•wick drains; sand columns
• occurs along coastal areas
• triggered by movement along
trenches, submarine faults,
volcanoes, landslides
Requirements for a seismic
event to be tsunamogenic
• epicenter located offshore
• relatively shallow depth
• sufficiently strong
• have vertical motion
 Tsunamis
• local tsunamis – no
lead time (minutes)
• distant tsunamis –
lead time of several
hours
 Rupture:
length : 300 km
width: 150 km
displacement: 30 - 40 m
Tohoku, Japan Earthquake: GPS Displacements
Geospatial Information Authority of Japan
A History Of Large Earthquakes

Data: USGS PAGERCAT 1900-2008, USGS-NEIC & CMT 2008-present

Figure courtesy of Charles Ammon, after Ammon et al., SRL, 2010
20 km maximum
incursion
1994 Mindoro Earthquake
M = 7.1
Aglubang River Fault
tsunamogenic
1994 Mindoro Earthquake
 LANDSLIDES
• differentiate rock slopes
from soil slopes
• methods of investigation,
modes of failure, mitigation
depends on type of material
• complete gradation exists
between rock & soil
 LANDSLIDES

• rock slopes: topples, planar

failure, wedge failure,
ravelling
 LANDSLIDES
• soil slopes:
– parallel failure: usually occurs in
steep slopes along contacts
between bedrock & shallow
residual soil
– circular failure: circular slip plane in
thick soil deposits

– cohesion
– friction angle
 LANDSLIDES
(factors)
• topography
• geology
• vegetation
• groundwater
• rainfall
• seismic activity
• history of slope
 LANDSLIDES
(regional investigation)

• morphological interpretation
of low altitude aerial
photographs & topographic
maps
• field mapping
 LANDSLIDES
(detailed investigation)

• soil slopes
(detailed topographic mapping,
geotechnical drilling, sampling &
laboratory testing, slope stability
analysis, monitoring)
• rock slopes
rock mass characterization &
classification
 LANDSLIDES (treatment)
• earthworks (e.g. removal on top, rock cutting,
soil cutting, filling at toe)
• bio-engineering (e.g. vetiver, cocomat,
wattling)
• water management (surface drainage)(e.g.
ditches, cascades, culverts)
• water management (subsurface drainage)
(e.g. subsurface drains, horizontal drains)
• slope works (e.g. shotcrete)
• anchoring (e.g. soil nails, rock bolts, rock
anchors)
 LANDSLIDES (treatment)
• retaining walls (e.g. stone masionry walls,
crib walls, gabion walls)
• catch walls (e.g. gabion walls, concrete
walls)
• protection works (e.g. nets)
• check dams (e.g. sabo dams)
• pile works (e.g. sheet piles)
• realignment
 Rock
Slopes
Pasig
 Agas-Agas
Southern Leyte
 GROUND SUBSIDENCE

• groundwater extraction
• oil & gas extraction
• mining
 SINKHOLES

• solution in limestone
• geomorphological interpretation
of low altitude aerial photographs
& detailed topographic maps; field
mapping; geophysics; drilling;
excavation
 SINKHOLES
(mitigation)

• avoidance
• backfilling & grouting
• design (larger footings, tie
beams & crossbeams,
suspended slabs)
 SINKHOLES

Dumanhug, Cebu
SINKHOLES
 EXPANSIVE SOILS

• bentonite, shale, siltstone

• factors: e.g. moisture content,

type of clay (montmorillonite),
amount of clay, surcharge, etc
 EXPANSIVE SOILS
(mitigation)

• removal & replacement

• surcharge loading
• drainage
• treatment (e.g. lime, fly ash,
cement, salt)
• design (micropiles, pier &
grade beams)
HYDROLOGICAL HAZARDS

• flooding (flashflood, sheetflow)

• debris flows
• bank erosion & channel
migration
• scouring
• siltation
Flash Flooding

Timbaban River,
Madalag, Aklan, 2003

Sibulan River
Davao Sur Aug 2008
Flash Flooding
 Roads

Brgy. Villa Aurora proper

Flash flood at Barangay Villa Aurora, Maria Aurora, Aurora.

 “Dingalan itself is built on
old debris flow deposits. It
is likely to be hit again”

Dingalan, Aurora, 2004

Lesson 7:
Recurring problem – “let
nature take its own course”
L
U GS
D
 Dingalan, Aurora, 2004

• There are more potential

“Brgy. Paltics” in the area!

Lesson 8: Identify other problem areas

L
U GS
D
terrace in old debris flow deposits
Davao del Sur
Channel Migration

1950’s

1980’s

1990’s
Source : Mines & Geosciences Bureau
 Tagudin Poblacion,
Ilocos Sur

Bank Erosion &

Channel
Migration

Amburayan River, Amburayan River,

Ilocos Sur La Union
 Hospicio de San Jose
Scouring Pasig River

Bakun
HYDROLOGICAL HAZARDS
(mitigation)
• to increase capacity of river flow
– dikes, levees
– widening of waterway
– dredging

• to reduce &/or control peak discharge

– flood control dam
– retarding basin
HYDROLOGICAL HAZARDS
(mitigation)
• to prevent inland flood
– lateral improvement (e.g. drainage)
– tributary improvement
– pumping station

• to prevent overflow flood

– dikes, levees
– widening of waterway
– dredging
HYDROLOGICAL HAZARDS
(mitigation)
• to prevent scouring of riverbank
– revetment
– spur dikes
– change waterway
– ground sill

• to prevent obstruction
– sabo works
– maintenance
 VOLCANIC HAZARDS
• ashfalls & bombs
• lava flows
• pyroclastic flows
• debris flows, mudflows, lahars
• debris avalanche
• tsunamis
July 1994

September 1995 June 1991

Pinatubo
 VOLCANIC HAZARDS
(engineering measures for
lahars, mudflows, debris flows)

• sabo dams
• dikes
• flood control structures
• dredging
COASTAL HAZARDS

• tsunamis
• storm surges
• sea level rise
• coastal erosion
• sedimentation
 COASTAL HAZARDS
(coastal & marine projects)
• reclamation projects
• ports
• submarine pipelines
• submarine cables
 Coastal
Erosion

Davao del Sur

 COASTAL HAZARDS
(mitigation)
• siting & alignment
• dikes
• breakwaters
• coastal protection
• piles vs reclamation
(piers, runways)
 THANK
YOU

DR. RAMON D. QUEBRAL

Structural / Engineering Geologist
Mines & Geosciences Bureau
North Avenue, Quezon City
ramon_quebral@yahoo.com
0920-415.9391
AMH (Philippines), Inc.
2nd Floor, Bahay Alumni
UP Campus, Diliman