Developments in Engineering Geology

Developments in Engineering Geology is a showcase of the diversity in the science and practice of engineering geology. All branches of geology are applicable to solving engineering problems and this presents a wide frontier of scientific opportunity to engineering geology. In practice, diversity represents a different set of challenges with the distinctive character of the profession derived from the crossover between the disciplines of geology and engineering. This book emphasizes the importance of understanding the geological science behind the engineering behaviour of a soil or rock. It also highlights a continuing expansion in the practice areas of engineering geology and illustrates how this is opening new frontiers to the profession thereby introducing new knowledge and technology across a range of applications. This is initiating an evolution in the way geology is modelled in engineering, geohazard and environmental studies in modern and traditional areas of engineering geology.
Site classification map of Italy based on surface geology
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Published:January 01, 2016
Abstract
In this article a method developed for the creation of a site classification map at a territorial scale, starting from the geological mapping available at 1:100 000 scale, is described. This map has been used to embed amplification factors as provided by the Italian seismic code in seismic hazard studies, in order to consider the contribution of the surface geology on the expected ground motion values. The Italian territory has been divided into polygons classified on the basis of lithologies that the seismic code considers homogeneous in their average seismic response. The data processing has been conducted in a GIS environment, starting from the digital format of the lithological map of Italy at 1:100 000 scale. Our results can be used in seismic risk analyses that take into account the local seismic amplification due to the geological characteristics of an area, and in studies on ground motion prediction equations (GMPE).