CE-312

Engineering Geology and Seismology

(Theory)
Credit Hours 3

Instructor:
Engr. Ishfaq Takkar
ishfaq.takkar@uetpeshawar.edu.pk
Courtesy by: Dr. Shahidullah

Department of Civil Engineering, UET Jalozai Campus.

 Objectives of the course
Challenges ...

➢ Human developments demand for the extension of existing

cities and establishment of new super cities to
accommodate millions of population.
➢ The development requires the construction of structures
and infrastructures to help facilitate quality life of people.
➢ These structures and infrastructures are built on the surface
of earth which is highly non-homogenous and underlain a
complex strata.

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 Objectives of the course
➢ The aim of this course is to help guide the students
• To understand the geologic factors that may affect the
location, design and construction of civil engineering projects,
and
• Assuring that these factors are adequately provided for.
➢ In particular the students will learn
• Minerals and their properties
• Rocks formation process
• Rocks physical properties and mechanical properties
which can help students in appropriate site selection for
civil engineering projects (e.g. buildings, bridges, dams,
reservoirs, tunnels, etc.).
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 Objectives of the course
➢ Furthermore, the students will be
• Introduced to geologic hazard like Earthquakes (a serious
threat to communities like in Pakistan)
➢ With the aim to provide the students with
understanding
• How earthquakes are generated and
• How they can affect the built environment.
➢ Finally the students will learn
• Tools to characterize earthquake and
• Earthquake caused ground motions,
which can help engineers in the design and feasibility
analysis of various facilities.
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 Overview of Course Outline
Engineering Geology:
1) Importance of Geology for Civil Engineering projects.
Physical properties and identification of common rocks
forming minerals.
2) Rocks formation and classification.
3) Weather and erosion, Weather classification.
4) Discontinuity classification, Geological structures
5) Description of Rock masses as thickly bedded or thinly
bedded.
6) Durability of rocks and its classification in dry and wet
condition with durability test. Engineering and physical
properties of rocks.
7) Role of geology in selection of sites for dams, reservoirs,
tunnels and other civil engineering structures.
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 Overview of Course Outline
Engineering Seismology:
1) Plate Tectonics with respect to the global application, earthquakes,
causes of earthquakes, protective measures against earthquakes,
zoning of earth quakes in Pakistan.
2) Earthquake generation: earth structures, plate tectonics, fault rupture
and elastic rebound, seismic waves and rays theory. Epicenter,
Focus, base shear, shear wave velocity, soil profile types.
3) Earthquake observation: seismographs and seismogram, hypo
central location, fault plane solution, magnitude and seismic
moment, instrumental and historical seismicity, macro seismic scales
and iso-seismal maps.
4) Earthquake strong motion: accelerographs and accelerograms, strong
motion parameters, attenuation relationships, basic of SHA: hazard
mapping and zonation, site effects.
5) Seismic Risk: Vulnerability, exposure and Hazard
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 Recommended Books

For Engineering Geology:

➢ Engineering Geology -- by K.M Banger Reprinted (1988)
➢ Blyth, F.G.H. Geology for Engineers, Butterworth-Heinemann,
by 7th Edition,1984
➢ Ali H Kazmi and M. Qasim Jan, Geology and tectonics of
Pakistan, Graphic Publishers, 1997
For Engineering Seismology:
➢ Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering – by Steven L
Kramer, Prentice Hall (1996)
➢ Earthquakes – by Bruce A. Bolt University of California,
USA.

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 Use of computer software
The following Tools and Packages could be used during the
course.
• SeismoSignal – for analysis of earthquake ground motions
record

• SeismoMatch – for ground motion record selection and

spectrum matching, defining input for dynamic analysis

• SeismoArtif – for generation of artificial ground motion

records of pre-specified ground and site characteristics

• Microsoft Excel – for ground motions characterization and

Probabilistic Hazard Analysis
• Matlab – for ground motions characterization
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 Course grading and score breakdown
• The students grading is based on relative grading system as
designed by UET Peshawar.
Grading Basis
• Class Participation
• Quizzes to be taken in the class during the course.
• Assignments and homework exercises assigned to the
students during lectures.
• Mini-Project Report: Group-Work, Report and Class
Presentation.

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 Course grading and score breakdown

Course Scores Breakdown

• Class Participation 05%
• Quizzes 10%
25%
• Assignments and Mini-Project 10%
• Mid–Term Exam. 25%
• Final–Term Exam. 50%

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 What is Geology?
➢ The term Geology comes from the Greek language, gê
means “Earth” and logia means “study of”. It is the
science which is devoted to the study of earth.
➢ Geology deals with:
• The study of solid Earth,
• The rocks of which it is composed, and
• The processes by which they change.
➢ Geology can also refer generally to:
• The study of the solid features of any celestial body (such as
the geology of the Moon or Mars)
➢ The better we understand the history of earth, the better
we can forsee how events and processes of the past
might influence the future.
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 What is Engineering Geology

➢ Engineering Geology is one of the branches of geology

which deals with the application of geology to Civil
engineering projects.
➢ Engineering geology is the application of geological
data, techniques and principles to the study of
• rock
• soil surficial materials,
• and ground water.
➢ This is essential for the proper location, planning, design,
construction, operation and maintenance of engineering
structures.
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 Branches of Geology
➢ Physical Geology
Study of natural processes that modify the earth’s surface.
➢ Petrology
Study of composition, structure and origin of rocks.
➢ Mineralogy
Study of mineral composition, structure, appearance and occurrence.
➢ Structural Geology
Study of rock structures in earth’s crust (Large scale).
➢ Stratigraphy
Study of description and classification of strata (series of layers in rock) in
rocks.
➢ Paleontology
Study of fossils in rocks.
➢ Mining Geology
Application of Geology to Mining engineering.
➢ Economic Geology
Study of minerals of economic importance.
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 Importance of Geology

Geology is of practical importance to mankind. It plays a

vital role, both , in the economic development as well as in
hazard preparedness of a country.
➢ Commercial importance:
• Exploration of hydrocarbons (coal, petroleum, natural gas) for
fuel
• Exploration of minerals of industrial and economic importance
• Exploration of ores i.e. Iron, Aluminium etc
➢ Importance in hazard mitigation
• The prediction and understanding of natural hazards,
• The remediation of environmental problems and
• Providing insights into past climate change.
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Importance of Geology for Civil Engineering Projects

➢ Engineering Geology serves civil engineering to provide

information in three most important areas:

▪ Resources for Construction

• Aggregates, fills and borrows.

▪ Finding Stable Foundations

• Present is the key to the past –Geology
• Past is the key to the future –Engineering

▪ Mitigation of Geological Hazards

• Identify problems, evaluate the costs, provide information to
mitigate the problem
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Importance of Geology for Civil Engineering Projects

➢ Systematic knowledge of construction materials, their

structure and properties.
➢ Information about Erosion, Transportation and Deposition
(ETD).
➢ Idea about nature of rocks helps in tunneling, road
construction and slope stability
➢ Problems with foundations of structures.
➢ Knowledge of ground water.
➢ Study of geological features like faults, joints, beds, folds etc.
helps in stability of structures (e.g. induced seismicity, sites
for reservoir, dams etc)
➢ Pre-geological survey of the area concerned reduces the cost
of engineering work.

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What happens when geology is ignored!!!
(a) Vajont Dam in Italy.
(b)
Construction: 1956-1959
(a) during the
construction
(b) in 1963, during the
landslide.

Causing Manmade
Tsunami and killing
about 2000 people.

(c) (d) (c) and (d). Before and

after failure of St. Francis
dam in California.

426 People were killed

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 But geology could be also fun
(a) (b)
(a) and (b) Oued
Metlili Ghardaia,
Algeria.

(c) (d)
(c) and (d)
Vinicunca Mountain
(rainbow mountain)
Peru.

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Thank You

Questions?

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