- Accueil
- EN
- Studying at ULB
- Find your course
- UE
-
Share this page
Geology and engineering geology
Course teacher(s)
Pierre GERARD (Coordinator)ECTS credits
5
Language(s) of instruction
english
Course content
Part 1 - Introduction to geology
The Earth System
The rock cycle
Types of minerals and rocks
Processes of weathering, transport and diagenesis
Stratigraphy
Basic principles of structural geology
Interpretation of geological maps
Part 2 - Engineering geology
Interpretation of geotechnical maps
Basic principles of hydrogeology
Problematic soils: alluvial plains, subsidence, karst, swelling and shrinking soils, post-mining problems, etc.
Introduction to the main geophysical methods for subsurface characterization (seismic refraction, electrical prospecting, micro-gravimetry, ground penetrating radar)
Engineering geology associated with dams and tunnels construction
Objectives (and/or specific learning outcomes)
At the end of the course, the students will be able to:
- describe the basic geological processes
- identify the main minerals and rocks encountered on Earth surface
- describe the basic principles of geophysical methods and their contributions in geotechnical engineering
- explain how the geological conditions, the heterogeneity of the subsurface and the behaviour of geological materials can influence some civil engineering applications
- analyse and interpret geological, geotechnical, hydrogeological and geophysical data and reports to identify the geotechnical properties of the subsurface and their consequences for a civil engineering project
Teaching methods and learning activities
Lectures for theoretical aspects (slides available on UV)
Exercises (rocks and minerals identification, interpretation of geological maps, interpretation of in-situ tests campaign, interpretation of geophysical data, etc.)
A site visit will be organized according to the possibilities
Contribution to the teaching profile
This teaching unit contributes to the following competences:
-
In-depth knowledge and understanding of exact sciences with the specificity of their application to engineering
-
Think critically about and evaluate projects, systems and processes, particularly when based on incomplete, contradictory and/or redundant information
-
A critical attitude towards one’s own results and those of others
-
An attitude of life-long learning as needed for the future development of his/her career
-
Design (conceptually and quantitatively) geotechnical structures by applying the fundamental concepts of soil mechanics
-
Integrate the behaviour of geomaterial as a construction or a geological material in complex civil engineering problems
References, bibliography, and recommended reading
Additional details and explanations about the content of the course can be found in the following references:
Understanding Earth. Grotzinger J., Jordan T., Press F. and Siever R. 2007. Ed. Freeman
Geology - Basics for engineers. Parriaux A. 2009. CRC Press/Balkema
Geological engineering. Gonzalez de Vallejo L. 2011. CRC Press
Course notes
- Université virtuelle
Other information
Additional information
Course taught in English
Contacts
Prof. Pierre Gerard - Solbosch campus - Building C - Level 4 - Laboratory of GeoMechanics - gerard.pierre@ulb.be
Campus
Solbosch
Evaluation
Method(s) of evaluation
- written examination
- Oral examination
- Written report
written examination
Oral examination
Written report
The final mark is based on :
- a written report related to the content of one exercises session
- a written examination related to exercises
- an oral examination related to the theory and rocks/minerals identification
Mark calculation method (including weighting of intermediary marks)
The final mark is obtained with the following weighing:
- written report (25%)
- written examination (40%)
- oral examination (35%)
Language(s) of evaluation
- english