Engineering Geology: Fundamental Input or Random Variable? (Paper was selected for AEG’s 2016 Holdredge Award)
May 20, 2021 12:00 Pm EDT
Speaker Jeffrey Keaton:
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Geologists and engineers view the world in complementary but different ways. Science seeks to explain all observed details, whereas engineering seeks to design with specific objectives and multiple constraints. National guidance in the United States calls for geotechnical site investigations to be performed by geotechnical engineers and engineering geologists, but not all engineers or geologists know much about it. Site characterization should start with Geologic Models which form the basis for Ground Models (Geologic Models with engineering parameters) and Geotechnical Models (Ground Models with predicted performance based on design parameters). This presentation will describe for engineers why geology is fundamental to the success of projects that touch the ground. This webinar hopes to describe for geologists some thoughts about providing geologic interpretations that are readily useable in reliability based design projects.