ENGR 248 Engineering Geology

Spring 2022

1 Course Information

Lecture/Lab Meeting Days and Times

Classroom -

URL of Course Website -

Credits and Contact Hours 3

Pre-requisites CHEM 232 + CHEML

Co-requisites -

2 Instructor Details

Name Dr. Ahmed Salih Mohammed

Office Location

Tel.

Email

Office Hours

3 Course Catalogue Description

The course mainly covers the importance of engineering geology, maps, weathering and soil-
forming processes, rock mechanics, soil mechanics, mass wasting, groundwater, fluvial
processes, land subsidence, engineering geology of coastal regions, earthquakes, geophysical
techniques, and geological hazards. It also covers the engineering properties of earth materials
and their effects on civil engineering work. Then it includes the geotechnical evaluation of soil
and rocks, the mitigation of geological hazards like earthquakes, landslides, resource evaluation.

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4 Course Delivery: Teaching/Learning Approaches

Lectures in this course are delivered with the use of PowerPoint slides. Slides that cover the
material of each chapter of the textbook will be uploaded to the blackboard. Students are
expected to print the slides, which will serve as the backbone for their course notes. Example
problems will be solved during the lectures, and students are expected to participate in the
solution process. Students are expected to bring their textbooks to lectures to facilitate the
learning process as they contain relevant data tables, plots, and equations. Homework problems
will be assigned and posted on the blackboard with corresponding solutions. Students are
expected to practice solving problems out of the textbook on their own.

5 Textbook(s) /Required Material and References

• Engineering Geology by Perry H. Rahn, 2nd edition, 1996, Text Book (ISBN =
0131774034).

6 Topics Covered

● Introduction to Engineering Geology and maps ● Hydrology and Fluvial Processes

● Weathering and Soil Forming Processes ● Land Subsidence
● Rock Mechanics ● Geological investigation in Engineering
● Soil Mechanics application
● Geology formation shear failure criteria ● Earthquakes
● Ground Water ● Geophysical Techniques
● Geological Hazards

7 Course Learning Outcomes (ABET SLO’s Covered by this course)

CLO # Description Progra Assessment Emphasis

m SLO Method H/M/L

1.a Identify, describe, and apply techniques to

understand and analyze the principles of Assessment
1 H
engineering geology, maps, weathering, soil, Venue(s)
and rock mechanics

1.1 Engineering analysis for geology Quiz I

exam
- -

1.2 Field identification and issues analysis Quiz I and

- -
Final exam

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 1.3 Types of weathering and geological Quiz II and
- -
materials forming processes Final exam

1.b Identity, formulate, analyze and solve various Assessment

1 H
natural geological processes Venue(s)

2.1 Analysis of mass wasting, fluvial processes,

- -
land subsidence Midterm
and Final
2.2 Field testing and observation via using exam
- -
geophysical techniques

8 Graded Work

The purpose of the below assessments is to provide you, the learner, with feedback regarding your
level of knowledge, skills, and competencies related to the above Course Learning Outcomes.
Your performance on these items is also used to determine your overall final grade for the course.

Assessment Component Weight Due Date Remarks

1. Quizzes and participations 20% - -

2. (2) Midterm exams (20% for 45 % - Close book and notes

each)

3. Final exam 35 % -

Total 100% - -

Grading Scale
LG GPA Range Rank
A 4 93 - Superior
100
A- 3.7 90 - 92
B+ 3.3 87 - 89 Good
B 3 83 - 86
B- 2.7 80 - 82
C+ 2.3 77 – 79 Satisfactory
C 2 73 - 76
C- 1.7 70 – 72
D+ 1.3 67 – 69 Unsatisfactor
y
D 1 60 – 66
F 0 <60 Fail

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9 Course Policies and expectations

You can find the link to the policies and expectations here.

10 Course Calendar: Fall 2021

Week Topics Topics Assessment

1 Introduction to Engineering Geology and maps [CLO 1]  

2 Soil and Rock investigation [CLO 1]  

Soil Mechanics-Part A [CLO 1]

3
 

4 Soil Mechanics-Part B [CLO 1]

Rock Mechanics-Part A [CLO 1] Midterm, Exam # (class

5
time)

6 Rock Mechanics-Part B [CLO 1]

7
Shear failure and faulting in the geology formations [CLO
2]  

8 Ground Water, Aquifer, Pezometers [CLO 2]

9 Fluvial Processes [CLO 2]  

10 Land Subsidence, Settlement, ground movement [CLO 2]

11 Engineering Geology of Coastal Regions [CLO 2] Midterm, Exam #2: (class

time)

Earthquakes, Geophysical Techniques, Geophysical

12
studies methods [CLO 1] and [CLO 2]  

13 Final Exams

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