Geology & Civil Engineering
GEOLOGY & CIVIL ENGINEERING
As living creatures, the importance of understanding the earth we live in is paramount for our survival and development. Geology is the “scientific study of the origin, history and structure of the earth”. It involves understanding earth’s processes, materials and its effects on all forms of life. From earth elements such as rocks and mountains to natural phenomenon such as volcanoes and earthquakes, the field of geology encompasses a wide range of concepts fundamental to many professions and to civilization in general. Scientific disciplines such as civil engineering and environmental sciences, for instance, rely on a deeper understanding and appreciation for earth’s landforms and processes.
Generally, any environmentally-related field requires a background on geological studies. Since civil engineers are ideally responsible for the built environment, an understanding of the ground upon which various infrastructures and facilities are built is of great importance. The works of a civil engineer includes structures that facilitate transport, water supply, shelter and living dwellings, hydropower, flood control and environmental protection, sewage and waste disposal, urban development and more. These structures include the highways, bridges and railways we traverse on a daily basis, dams and reservoirs that service a community with water, different energy systems and much more. We can clearly see the contributions made to civilization through civil engineering works. These contributions cannot however be possible without our natural environment – the earth. Consequently, the understanding of this natural building material is indispensable for the construction of safe and reliable infrastructures.
One of the tallest standing skyscrapers in the world, Burj Khalifa, stands 838m tall in the country of Dubai (Fig.1). Imagine if this structure was unknowingly built on top of a fault line and crumbled under the impact of an earthquake. The
As living creatures, the importance of understanding the earth we live in is paramount for our survival and development. Geology is the “scientific study of the origin, history and structure of the earth”. It involves understanding earth’s processes, materials and its effects on all forms of life. From earth elements such as rocks and mountains to natural phenomenon such as volcanoes and earthquakes, the field of geology encompasses a wide range of concepts fundamental to many professions and to civilization in general. Scientific disciplines such as civil engineering and environmental sciences, for instance, rely on a deeper understanding and appreciation for earth’s landforms and processes.
Generally, any environmentally-related field requires a background on geological studies. Since civil engineers are ideally responsible for the built environment, an understanding of the ground upon which various infrastructures and facilities are built is of great importance. The works of a civil engineer includes structures that facilitate transport, water supply, shelter and living dwellings, hydropower, flood control and environmental protection, sewage and waste disposal, urban development and more. These structures include the highways, bridges and railways we traverse on a daily basis, dams and reservoirs that service a community with water, different energy systems and much more. We can clearly see the contributions made to civilization through civil engineering works. These contributions cannot however be possible without our natural environment – the earth. Consequently, the understanding of this natural building material is indispensable for the construction of safe and reliable infrastructures.
One of the tallest standing skyscrapers in the world, Burj Khalifa, stands 838m tall in the country of Dubai (Fig.1). Imagine if this structure was unknowingly built on top of a fault line and crumbled under the impact of an earthquake. The
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