Geotechnical engineering has been an often underappreciated but yet essential aspect of human

progress over the years. It was already emphasized in both of the videos I watched that geotechnical
engineering is the science that studies the mechanics of soil and rock and their applications to human
development. Every civil engineering building and construction is tied to soil in some manner, and its
design will be influenced by soil or rock qualities. Geotechnical engineering includes, but is not limited
to, the design, analysis, and construction of foundations, slopes, retaining structures, embankments,
highways, tunnels, levees, wharves, landfills, and other systems built of or supported by soil or rock.

A geotechnical engineer is primarily concerned with how soils react when subjected to loading forces
Geotechnical engineers employ a combination of civil engineering, agronomy, agricultural engineering,
and geology skills to examine geologic materials and determine relevant property values that other
designers will use. For instance, if they are constructing a freeway, they must ensure that the ground is
solid and sturdy enough to accommodate the region's normal traffic—as well as more room for growth
if the area develops further in the future. Furthermore, they provide technical analysis and mapping of
seismic survey results, as well as examine subsurface conditions and materials to identify their qualities
and dangers.

Because all construction is built on or in the ground, geotechnical engineering is essential in all civil
engineering projects. The study of the geological material properties on a construction site are
important to allow design and construction of stable structures that do not settle, deform or crack and
do not fall down due to foundation failure. Furthermore, it is a major component of extractive industries
such as open cast and underground mining, as well as hydrocarbon extraction, and it is critical in
assessing natural risks such as earthquakes and landslides. Indeed, geotechnical engineering is an
important aspect of civil engineering, and experience has shown that ground failures are frequently
associated with engineering projects; however, careful consideration of ground conditions combined
with thorough geotechnical evaluation will help prevent costly problems.
HW 1 –GEO LAB

Both soil exploration and soil investigation are conducted to gather information on the subsurface
characteristics at a proposed construction site. Soil exploration is the evaluation of subsurface
conditions through the collection of samples using boring or digging exploratory pits. The extent of
exploration is determined by the structure's value, the intricacy of the soil conditions, and the budget
available for exploration. A detailed soil exploration program includes deep drilling, field tests, and
laboratory studies to determine the various soil qualities essential for the design of any structure. On
the other hand, boring, sampling, and testing are used in extensive soil investigations to determine the
engineering qualities of the soil. One of the simplest approaches for soil investigation is to dig trial pits
and do visual inspections before collecting samples with minimal disturbance for eventual laboratory
testing. Moreover, the soil investigation results help the civil engineer to determine which form of
foundation will most cheaply sustain the construction.

The purpose of soil exploration is to identify and solve environmental problems as well as excavation
problems. With soil exploration, geotechnical engineers can predict the lateral earth pressure for
structures, for retaining walls, sheet pile bulkheads and braced cuts. In addition, soil exploration is
influenced by the nature and variability of soil layers, as well as the type and relevance of structure and
its loads. For soil investigations, distinct types of equipment are required because the actual sampling
and subsequent processing are carried out with minimal disruption to the sediments. The sampler and
sampling tubes used reflect the actual sediment conditions as well as the needs for using the sediment
data. In soil investigation, two types of sampling are used: undisturbed and disturbed samples. An
undisturbed sample is one in which the structure of the soil has been sufficiently modified to be tested
in a laboratory without altering its structure, texture, density, or stress state, whereas a disturbed
sample is one in which the structure of the soil has been sufficiently changed.

Some of the methods of sampling are test pits, thin walled sample, mazier sample, soil penetration test
and cone penetration test. The most commonly used method is test pits, which is a minimally invasive
excavation that excavates many small holes to investigate the subsurface condition of a proposed
development site. Geotechnical engineers can determine the appropriateness of the soil and if it can
support the construction project using soil laboratory testing. Soil testing also identifies the different
types of soil on the site as well as their location. Furthermore, it can assess the impact of soil strength,
density, compaction, contamination, organics, and sand content on the construction project.
HW-earthquake eng

In 1990, an earthquake occurred at 4:26 p.m. in Central and Northern Luzon of the Philippines with a
magnitude of 7.8 which killed 2,412 people. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology
(Phivolcs) reported "hundreds of thousands" of landslides in Northern and Central Luzon. Other places
experienced liquefaction, which can result in the formation of sinkholes. Not only that, but Baguio's
structures were severely damaged. Notable structures destroyed included the Hyatt Terraces Plaza,
Nevada Hotel, Baguio Hilltop Hotel, Baguio Park Hotel, and FRB Hotel, and many people were buried
alive. The Philippines, which is located inside the Pacific Ocean's Ring of Fire, has had a number of
earthquakes of varied magnitude. Because of these, extensive planning is required in order to save lives
and infrastructure. The Philippine government collaborates with engineers and geologists to develop
solutions for building structures that can withstand disasters such as earthquakes, particularly the "Big
One." While our country is still developing technology for building structures, other countries, such as
Japan, have already devised modern solutions to help them build structures that can resist catastrophes.
This is due to the fact that Japanese structural engineers developed software and built structures that
absorbed as much seismic energy as feasible.

Structural engineers are in charge of ensuring that the materials used in a structure adhere to particular
standards that are critical to the overall construction. The grade of the reinforcing bars, the strength of
the concrete, the roof types, and the overall aesthetics required for the project are all factors to
consider. They advocate low-cost materials without sacrificing quality. They promote functionality and
safety without incurring any excessive costs. What began as an effort to preserve lives from future
earthquakes has evolved into an endeavor to limit damage and functional disruption to levels regarded
acceptable by owners and the communities in which their buildings are located. Earthquake engineers
design structures with predictable and defined seismic behavior using “performance-based engineering”
approaches. These approaches were created collaboratively based on studies of the consequences of big
earthquakes around the world. One of these ways is the use of structural engineering software, which
can do complex structural analyses reasonably fast but requires highly qualified structural engineers to
use efficiently. Furthermore, structural analyses and targeted retrofitting of existing structures can be
used to reduce the risk of human and economic loss from a projected maximum probability earthquake
at a given site owing to building collapse, loss of building contents, or economic downtime. Therefore,
structural and earthquake engineers serve critical roles in safeguarding people's safety, particularly
during disasters.

In any given year, the world can anticipate 18 earthquakes with magnitudes larger than 7.0, the most
majority of which (more than 80%) will most likely occur on the Pacific Plate's so-called Ring of Fire. Due
to this, structural engineers have prioritized earthquake-induced loads while designing a building, in
addition to taking into account dead, live, and wind loads. Earthquakes are less common than other
natural catastrophes, yet constructing earthquake-resistant structures protects against all natural
calamities. When researching and developing protective strategies for structural integrity, earthquake
engineers keep people's safety in mind.