GEOS 4587 - Engineering Geology

(4 credits)

Prerequisites: GEOL 1040 or permission of instructor. Real-world applications of geology in the field of engineering. Topics include: soil properties, floods and flood control, dams, stream management and reconstruction, erosion and erosion control, mass movement, municipal waste treatment, septic systems, radioactive waste disposal, tunnels, geologic applications of explosives, permafrost, strip mining and mine reclamation, earthquakes, coastal management. (fall, odd years) Honors students will be expected to choose a topic within the broad scope of Engineering Geology and write a term paper on the issue. The topic must be mutually agreed on by the student and instructor and the term paper will be orally defended in class. The paper should consider the history of the engineering project, how the site/issue was evaluated, what engineering techniques were considered and applied, the results of he engineering effort, and the political and social impacts of the project.

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