No engineering structure can be built on the ground or within it without the influence of geology being experienced by the engineer. Yet geology must remain an ancillary subject to students of engineering and it is therefore essential that their training is supported by a concise, reliable and usable text on the subject of geology and its relationship to engineering. In this book all the fundamental aspects of geology are described and explained, but within the limits thought suitable for engineers.
Thus the structure of the Earth and the operation of its internal processes are described, together with the geological processes that shape and fashion the Earth and produce its rocks and soils. The commonly occurring types of rock and soil, and many types of geological structure and geological maps, are described. Throughout the book care has been taken to focus on the relationship between geology and geomechanics. For this reason emphasis has been placed on the geological processes that bear directly upon the composition, structure and mechanics of soil and rocks, and on the movement of groundwater. The descriptions of geological processes and their products are therefore used as the basis for explaining why it is important to investigate the ground and how the investigations may be conducted at ground level and underground. Specific instruction is provided on the relationship between geology and many common activities undertaken when engineering in rock and soil.