Geophysics and Beyond: A Look at Geotechnical Engineers

ce.udel.edu

Paul Favret has had a lifelong fascination with Geology, Geophysics, and the study of the Earth, in general. In fact, he has even gone a step further by writing and releasing a series of blogs on his passion for introducing readers to this fascinating world. For this post, Paul Favret discusses the job of geotechnical engineers.

Assessing the ground and environment

Every structure built on the ground requires the expertise of a geotechnical engineer to ensure its stability and ability to withstand external forces. The extensive and significant scope of the roles in this field of engineering is varied, not to mention exciting.

For starters, there is geotechnical investigation. The site's ground and the surrounding environment should be assessed even before the structure is designed. Included in evaluating geotechnical properties are the exploration of both the surface and the subsurface, water content measurement, and soil properties analysis. Geotechnical investigation can involve many things, from a simple physical observation of the site to a battery of tests, such as penetration tests, soil sampling, Atterberg limit tests, water content measurement, grain size analysis, and much more.

Eye on foundation design

Next, geotechnical engineers take care of the foundation design. The foundation's design, depth, and type all depend on the planned structure and the following ground properties. Paul Favret mentions these properties below:

• Bearing capacity, or the ability of the ground to fully support the loads and weight of the structure or buildings

• Settlement, or the tendency of the soil to move downward due to the vertical strain the structure imposes on the ground

• Ground movement, or the movement underneath the structure caused by climatic changes, shifts in temperature, slope instability, etc.

geotill.com

There is much more to geotechnical engineering than what was mentioned in this article, which is exactly what makes this field so exciting, says Paul Favret. Follow his blogs for more geotechnical content.

Are you also fascinated by Geology and Geophysics? Bookmark this Paul Favret page for more related posts and updates.

Comments

Paul Favret on Why Educational Charity Matters

The Benefits of Educational Charity, According to Paul Favret charitynavigator.org Education is one of the most essential possessions a person can have in their life. Paul Favret rues that education is out of reach for many people and that there are various reasons, such as poverty and lack of access. That's where charity education can help. Here are a few reasons why educational charity matters. Provides Access to Education Among the primary goals of charitable institutions is to deliver educational opportunities to citizens who cannot afford them. Unfortunately, the poor or less privileged have no means to access education. Even though education is a right, the fact remains that education comes with a cost. By helping educational charities, you can help children and adults attain quality education. Helps Fight Poverty Many charity organizations and initiatives are aimed at addressing poverty. They help provide food, shelter, and other essentials to those in...

Paul Favret on Investing in Geology

Paul Favret Explains Why Geology is a Valued Investment acceleratingscience.com According to Paul Favret, geology is often understood as a course in school. This might elicit some assumptions from people who need to familiarize themselves with geology as a whole. In reality, geology is quite fascinating. The world has a lot to be grateful for because of geologists. Paul Favret explains that without their expertise, the world's economy would have collapsed long ago. This is not hyperbole, especially in this age where getting resources from the earth is of great significance to human life. Economic valuation, Paul Favret says, is a method that experts use to determine the impact of any material found on the planet. This is generally regarding naturally-occurring resources. Geologists analyze ground content for their reports. The analysis leads to accurate assessments of the soil's potential for use. This analysis can pertain to farming, mining, or other economic ac...

Notable Projects Worked on by Geophysicists

scurbatgeophysics.com Paul Favret explains that geophysics is the study of the physical processes that shape the Earth and its environment. He mentions that, over the centuries, there have been many notable geophysics projects that have helped further our understanding and deepen our knowledge of our planet. Notable geophysics projects include Galileo Galilei using a telescope to observe and record the phases of Venus in 1609, which was one of the first observations that supported the Copernican model of our very own solar system and placed the Sun at the center instead of the Earth. Another is James Cook sailing to Tahiti in 1772 to observe and, amazingly, record a transit of Venus across the Sun. This data was used to help calculate the distance from the Sun to Earth (known as the astronomical unit). Paul Favret points out that projects have become more complex in more recent times. Here are some of them: - The Apollo Moon landing missions, during which seismometers were plac...

Paul Favret

Search This Blog