CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, NORTHRIDGE
SPRING SEMESTER 2016
GEOLOGICAL SCIENCES 580/580L – ENGINEERING GEOLOGY
Instructor: Steve Lipshie
Office: 1214 Live Oak Hall
e-mail: slipshie@att.net
Meeting Room: 1212 Live Oak Hall
Class Hours: Tues. and Thur., 5:00 – 7:30 p.m.
Office Hours: Tues. and Thur., 4:00 – 5:00 p.m.
Course objectives: To introduce participants to the basic principles and techniques of
engineering geology and to show the symbiotic relationship between the practice of
engineering geology and that of civil engineering in the real world. By the end of the
course, students should have an appreciation for the role of geologic investigations in
civil engineering and environmental remediation projects and the perils of ignoring
geologic conditions during planning and construction.
Syllabus
Reading Assignments
Tues., Jan. 26:
Thur., Jan. 28:
Introduction to engineering geology.
Tools of engineering geology
(topo maps, aerial photos, etc.)
Chapters 1 and 2
Tues., Feb. 2:
Thur., Feb. 4:
Soils and weathering processes
Introduction to soil mechanics
Chapter 3
Tues., Feb. 9:
Thur., Feb. 11:
Soil properties
Subsurface exploration
Tues., Feb. 16:
Thur., Feb. 18:
Trench logging
Introduction to rock mechanics
Appendix D (skim)
Tues., Feb. 23:
Thur., Feb. 25:
Groundwater in engineering geology
Flow nets; seepage pressure
Appendix A
Tues., Mar. 1:
Thur., Mar. 3:
Three-point problems; pumping tests
Slug tests; percolation tests
Tues., Mar. 8:
Thur., Mar. 10:
Effective stress in soil; slope movements
Landslide nomenclature and processes
Chapter 4; Appendix E;
Appendix F
Tues., Mar. 15:
Thur., Mar. 17:
Midterm Exam
Landslide slope stability analysis
Chapter 5
Sat., Mar. 19:
FIELD TRIP NO. 1: Palos Verdes landslide tour
Tues., Mar. 22:
Thur., Mar. 24:
Landslides in rock; wedge failure analysis
Introduction to earthquakes
Tues., Mar. 29:
Thur., Mar. 31:
Faults; deterministic seismic analysis
Probabilistic seismic analysis
(tentative date)
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Tues., Apr. 5:
Thur., Apr. 7:
No class – GSA Cordilleran meeting in Ontario
Landfills
Chapter 9
Tues., Apr. 12:
Thur., Apr. 14:
Concrete dams; cutoff walls
Embankment dams
Sat., Apr. 16:
FIELD TRIP NO. 2: St. Francis Dam mapping exercise (tentative date)
Tues., Apr. 19:
Thur., Apr. 21:
Building and grading codes
Grading codes (continued)
Chapter 8 (read);
Appendix B (skim)
Tues., Apr. 26:
Chapter 10
Thur., Apr. 28:
Soil problems (subsidence, hydrocompaction, expansive soils)
Seismic refraction investigations
Tues., May 3:
Thur., May 5:
Coastal erosion
Seawater-intrusion barriers
Tues., May 10:
Thur., May 12:
Environmental geology (esp. soil and
groundwater contamination)
Environmental site assessments
Tues., May 17:
Final Exam
Appendix C
Textbook: Merifield, Paul M., 2012, Engineering and Environmental Geology:
Space Sciences 139: unpublished lecture notes, approx. 300 p.
Earth &
The textbook will be supplemented by handouts, most of which will be included in
reading assignments.
Reading assignments will be given, as noted above, and you will be responsible for
the material on exams.
Field trips: Two mandatory field trips will be held on Saturdays, to be scheduled by class
discussion. During the first, we will view landslide features in the Palos Verdes area.
During the second, we will make a simple geologic map of the St. Francis Dam site.
Homework: There will be weekly homework exercises, which will be graded. Students are
expected to complete homework assignments and turn them in by the deadline.
Assignments turned in late will be penalized 25% of the point grade per week.
Work load: Overall, students can expect to spend two hours on reading assignments and
homework for each hour in class.
Grading: The course grade will be apportioned as follows:
Exercises and field trips . . . . . . . . . . 35 %
Midterm exam (1½ hr.) . . . . . . . . . . 25
Final exam (3 hr.) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
(Oct. 13, 6:00-7:00 pm)
(Dec. 15, 6:00-9:00 pm)
Exams will emphasize lecture material (including homework assignments) but will
also cover reading assignments.