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2010/1 Module Catalogue
 Module Code: ENG1017 Module Title: GEOLOGY
Module Provider: Civil, Chemical & Enviromental Eng Short Name: SE1122
Level: HE1 Module Co-ordinator: MATTHEWS MC Dr (C, C & E Eng)
Number of credits: 10 Number of ECTS credits: 5
 
Module Availability

Semester 1 and 2 (including fieldwork during the Easter Vacation)

Assessment Pattern
Unit(s) of Assessment
Weighting Towards Module Mark (%)
Examination (Spring Semester)
70
Fieldwork - 5-day residential field course in Devon (attendance compulsory)
30
Qualifying Condition(s) 
A weighted aggregate mark of 40% is required to pass the module.
Module Overview
Geology is explained in this module, not only as being significant in civil engineering works, but also as coherent geological general knowledge. The lectures provide an explanation of the processes by which the ground was formed and therefore what it is made of, how it behaves as an engineering material and the hazards and risks it poses to construction. The module includes practical sessions on geological map interpretation as well as a five day residential field course in Devon which reinforces the learning from the lectures and map work. This module is supplemented by practical material provided as part of the Engineering Laboratories 1 module.
Prerequisites/Co-requisites

Normal entry requirements for degree course in Civil Engineering

Module Aims

To provide students with an appreciation of the nature and range of geological features and hazards, and their occurrence, and to describe their potential impact on civil engineering construction as well as the ability to recognise common geomaterials and construct simple geological models of the ground.
Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this module you will be able to:
·   Describe a range of ground related hazards and risks and explain their significance for civil engineering construction.
·   Recognise and describe a range of commonly occurring geomaterials and geological structures.
·    Interpret geological maps in terms of geological structures and relative age of strata.
·   construct a basic geological model of a site based on published geological information and walk over survey.

Module Content

Common geomaterials:
Basic recognition characteristics and classification of igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rocks 
Geological structures:
folds, faults igneous intrusions and unconformities.
Groundwater:
groundwater in its various forms (artesian and perched groundwater conditions) and its importance in construction.
Geohazards:
a review of a range of geological hazards that may be encountered during construction, their origins, and importance to civil engineers.
Geological Maps:
recognition and interpretation of geological features and the development a 3D model of the ground based on the information obtained from geological maps.
Geological Fieldwork:
Recognition and description of geomaterials and geological structures and the construction of a 3D geological model based on field observations.

Methods of Teaching/Learning
10 hours lectures, 10 hours geological map interpretation practical sessions, 27 hours of fieldwork (attendance compulsory), 2 hour examination and 51 hours independent learning.  
Total student learning time 100 hours.
Selected Texts/Journals

The module is supported by comprehensive notes (on ULearn), with further reading as follows
Essential Reading
Bennison GM and Moseley KA, An Introduction to Geological Structures and Maps, 7th ed, Hodder Education, 2003. (ISBN 978 034080956 3).
Required reading
Waltham AC, Foundations of Engineering Geology, 3rd ed, Spon, 2009. (IBSN 987 041446960 9).
Recommended background reading
Blyth FGH and de Freitas MH, A Geology for Engineers, 7th ed, Elsevier Butterworth-Heinemann, 1984. (ISBN 978 071312882 6) [Still in print – checked Sept 10].
Grotzinger J, Jordan TH, Press F and Siever R, Understanding Earth, 5th ed, WH Freeman & Co, 2006. (978 071677696 3)
Kearey P, The New Penguin Dictionary of Geology, 2nd ed, Penguin Books, 2005. (ISBN 978 014051494 0).
Gribble C and McLean A, Geology for Civil Engineers, 2nd ed, Taylor & Francis, 1985. (ISBN 978 041916000 7) [Still in print – checked Sept 10].
Matthews MC, Simons NE and Menzies, BK, A Short Course in Geology for Civil Engineers, Thomas Telford Books, 2008. (ISBN 978 072773350 4).
Norbury, D., Soil and Rock Description in Engineering Practice, Whittles Publishing, 2010. (ISBN 978-1904445654)
 
 

Last Updated

1st October 2010