Facts About Geotech Engineering And Testing You Need To Know

By Christine Meyer


Engineering is wide in scope. Geotechnical study is one of its many branches. As the name connotes, it deals with analyzing the behavioral tendencies of earth material commonly known as soil. The study of earth material is an aspect of civil engineering, and thus it automatically links geotech engineering and testing to it.

In the past, there were no prior testing nor evaluation on the soil before the necessary activities were carried out. The practice gained most fame during the eighteenth century. Today, all soil related activities example, construction, military, and mining are done after a research of the soil in the area has been carried out. The research helps in determining whether carrying out the activity in the area is recommended.

As a branch of engineering, it mostly deals with the analyzing of the quality of the soil. The soil has many elements in it, and the nature of these elements change from time to time, due to the natural occurrences and human activities. Because of this, you will realize that how the components appear today, are not the same as they were some few years back, and they still keep changing. On this note, these properties of soil have to be studied so that their suitability is determined, depending on what it is needed for at the time. You should not use results that were found before in an activity that is in the present.

When the geotechnical professionals investigate the surface materials, they can determine the properties of the soil under; chemical and non chemical. They will also be able to determine the suitability of the soil depending on the human and natural activities. They also do the assessment of risks that can be brought about by earthworks, constructions, and mining. Therefore, they can tell how the surface can be affected by the earthworks.

To determine engineering properties of any soil, certain procedures are followed. Geotechnical experts take up the activity as a whole project and undertake to carry out the investigative procedures progressively and in autonomous stages. The process starts from known to unknown and has to be guided by the particular qualities that need to be established in determining the suitability of a surface for construction.

Breaking the project into smaller working ones will help make the process more organized and easier to achieve. In the first step, you will have to visit the site to get a general view of the area and things surrounding it. The aim of the visit is usually to assess the soil for the probability of reduced handling of human or natural forces. Recommendations are also included for presentation.

When the geotechnical procedure is carried out correctly, it will be easy to reduce some natural disasters like the earthquakes and mass wasting. When the geotechnical engineer has determined the soil properties, they will be able to prescribe the suitable foundations for the site. The results from the soil survey can also help determine the changes of the initial construction designs.

This branch of study is broad and wide. It also intermingles with other disciplines example geology and history. For example, in chemistry, the science will delve much deeper in evaluating the properties of the soil both chemical and non-chemical. This will best ensure that the soil will be suitable for construction without being risky.




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