Science Sub-Area B4
Expanded Course Outline
I.
Catalog Description
a) Course Title: GSC 321 / GSC321L Engineering Geology I / Engineering Geology Laboratory I
b) GSC 321: Fundamentals of geology applied to
engineering problems. Includes rock
types, structure, erosion, sedimentation, investigation
of seismic hazards, rock/soil movements, and dam site evaluations. 3 units lecture/discussion.
GSC 321L: Individual and group study of selected
engineering geology problems.
Instruction is carried out in the field and laboratory. 1 unit laboratory.
II. Required Background or Experience
Completion of
MAT 106 or higher and courses in Sub-areas A1, A2, A3 and B1, B2, B3 is
required. This course integrates skills
and concepts acquired in the General Education Communication and Critical
Thinking Sub-Areas and Mathematics and Natural Sciences Sub-Areas. Emphasis is placed upon utilizing
quantitative reasoning skills to define, analyze, and propose solutions to
real-world scientific problems that have geologic roots.
III. Expected Outcomes
This
upper-division synthesis course provides training in the “geologic factor” as
it bears on scientific problems and related human affairs. Students will learn to identify problem
situations commonly encountered during site investigations. Integrated lectures and laboratory exercises
promote critical reasoning skills as students gain understanding of
three-dimensional geologic structure and develop ability to evaluate the safety
or stability of slopes, construction sites, and dam foundations. Techniques of direct field observation,
recording field data, definition of site dimensions, description of potential
hazards, mathematical solution of related problems, and formal report writing
provide students practical experience in work typically performed by a project
geologist. Human impacts are addressed
through case studies of historical landslides, dam failures, and earthquakes
and how they relate to preventable mistakes made by past civilizations.
(1) Students
shall utilize technical skills and scientific methodologies acquired in
previous Mathematics, Physical Science, and Life Science courses.
(2) Students
shall directly observe and objectively measure geologic features and patterns
at specific field locations.
(3) Students
shall analyze observational data to identify problems related to safety and
stability of field site.
(4) Students
shall apply physical laws to problems regarding field conditions and utilize
statistical methods to evaluate a range of site factors.
(5) Instructor
emphasizes the importance of detailed observations, accurate measurements, and
objective interpretations.
(6) Assumptions
and limitations of analyses are critically evaluated.
(7) Human
impacts and real-world applications to hazard mitigation are made obvious
through examples illustrated in lecture and laboratory.
(8) The final
project (hypothetical dam site evaluation, general site investigation or case
study) requires teams of students to integrate literature research with
original scientific data collection.
(9) Laboratory
reports are presented in written format and evaluated by instructor.
(10) Final group
projects are presented orally to student peers, with a written report submitted
to the instructor for evaluation
Component of This
Course That Promotes Written and Oral Communication Skills:
Written
laboratory reports and short-essay type examination questions constitute a
significant proportion of the material evaluated in this course. Four of eight laboratory exercises require
formal written reports. In each of these
reports, students are required to succinctly state the purpose and objectives
of the exercise, describe scientific observations and data collected, explain
related calculations, and summarize pertinent results. Exam questions ask students to articulate and
/or quantify the details of specific geologic processes. All writing assignments are evaluated on the
basis of organization, content, writing mechanics, and grammar.
Teams
of two or three students carry out a research project during the last three
weeks of the course. Each quarter, the
emphasis may alternate between Hypothetical Dam Site Evaluation, General Site
Investigation and Case Studies. Students
choose from a wide variety of sites or topics.
Final group projects are presented orally to the class during Week 11. Each team of two or three students is
expected to summarize their project in a 10-15 minute talk accompanied by
visual aids. Powerpoint
slide presentations are encouraged. This
procedure provides each student with public speaking experience and
opportunities to field questions from peers.
IV. Text and
Required Textbook:
Willie,
Duncan C. and Mah, Chistophor
W., 2004. Rock Slope Engineering (Civil and Mining), (4th Edition) Spoon Press--Taylor &Francis Group, 429 p.
Required
Laboratory Manual:
Nourse, J. A., Marshall, J. S., and
V.
Minimum Student Materials
pencil, notepaper, protractor, ruler, colored
pencils, compass (for constructing circles), calculator, clipboard
VI.
Lecture room
with chalkboard, Brunton compasses (provided by
Geological Sciences Department), Xeroxed handout materials, Projection
facilities, Computer with Internet access
VII. Course Outline--Summary of Lectures
and Laboratory Sequence
(
(WEEKS 1-2)
Course
logistics; Minerals, rocks, and soils and their environments of formation;
Engineering properties of importance (Strength, porosity, permeability,
chemical weathering); Maps and cross sections; Landscape, geology, water, and
sedimentation as viewed from above and in profile; Water table maps and hydrologic
profiles; Basic geometric and geologic concepts applied to exploration for
groundwater and petroleum (Exercise 13); Drawdown and subsidence effects of
pumping from aquifers; Darcy’s Law and groundwater seepage velocity
Laboratory Exercise 1: Topographic
maps and construction of topographic profiles (portions of Exercises 8, 9, and
10)
Laboratory Exercise 2:
Identification, material properties of rocks and soils (Exercises 4, 5, 6)
(WEEK 3-4)
Recognition
and classification of
Laboratory Exercise 3: Hydrologic
maps, water table maps, and groundwater flow (portions of Exercises 17 and
18)
Laboratory
Exercise 4: Geologic
maps and construction of geologic profiles; Working with well logs (portions of
Exercises 14 and 16)
(WEEK 5)
General
relationship of stress to rock or soil deformation; Lithostatic
stress vs. deviatoric stress; Brittle versus ductile
materials; Shear Strength experiments and Coulomb’s Law of friction; Cohesion and
Friction Angle for various rocks and soils; Factors that reduce the strength of
rocks and soils; Relationship of stress orientation to earthquake faulting and
landslides.
Week 5 Field Laboratory Exercise: Recognition and
Classification of Faults.; meet at site; map to be provided by
instructor)
(WEEKS 5-6)
Introduction to
landslide phenomena; Natural and human factors that make slopes unstable;
Collection and measurement of slope stability data; How to determine safety factor
of a slope; Analysis of simple plane failure; Stereonet
analysis of intersecting planes. Stereonet and safety
factor analysis of Wedge Failure.
*Midterm Exam—end of Week 5*
Case studies of
historical landslides; Recognition and mitigation of landslide hazards
(Exercise 21)
Week 6 Field Laboratory Exercise: Slope stability investigations in the
(WEEKS 7-10)
General
geologic/hydrologic considerations in the
selection of dam sites; Types of dams (concrete gravity or arch;
earth-fill); Analysis of forces on dams and abutments; Evaluation of dam
safety; Hydroelectric power generation; Water budgets of reservoirs; Working
with precipitation, evaporation and runoff data; Darcy’s Law and water seepage
from reservoirs; Case studies of historical dam failures; Hoover Dam and other
classic dams.
Week 7 Field Laboratory Exercise: Field trip to
introduce Group Project Sites (hypothetical
dam site evaluation or general site investigation).
Students will break into groups of two or three and (with the aid of
their instructor) become familiar with the general geological characteristics
of the project area. Alternate Field Laboratory Exercise
(for sections doing Case Studies): Hydroelectric power generation in
Week 8 Field Laboratory Exercise: Focused field-work and planning related to hypothetical
dam site evaluation or general site investigation.
Research will be carried out by groups of two or three students. Meet in
field.
Week 8 Alternate Field Laboratory
Exercise (for sections doing Case Studies): Slope stability investigations
(continued)—rock bolt design calculation
Week 9 Field Laboratory Exercise: Focused field-work and planning related to hypothetical
dam site evaluation or general site investigation.
Research will be carried out by groups of two or three students. Meet
in field.
Week 9 Alternate Field Laboratory
Exercise (for sections doing Case Studies): Analysis
of Morris and San Gabriel
Dam in
Week 10
Laboratory Exercise—Free
period to finalize Hypothetical Dam Site Evaluations or General Site
Investigation or Case Studies
(WEEK 11)
Laboratory Final: Oral Presentation of Final Projects (Dam Site
Evaluations or General Site
Investigations or Case Studies) Student groups present essential results to
classmates and instructor in a series of 10-15 minute Powerpoint
talks.
Written Reports on Hypothetical Dam Site Evaluations or General Site Investigations or Case Studies are due
immediately following presentations.
VIII. Instructional Methods
Geologic
fundamentals and mathematical principles are introduced during the first four
weeks the lecture and laboratory sequence.
Students will gain confidence with this material by attending lecture,
taking notes, and performing four individual laboratory assignments. The last six weeks are spent applying these
principles to the solution of geologic problems in a natural field
setting. Mathematical approaches will be
derived in lecture, while students work in teams in the field to tackle
real-world situations. The instructor
provides feedback through one-on-one interactions with students and continuous
evaluation of formal written laboratory reports and examinations.
IX. Evaluation of Outcomes
Because
lecture and laboratory components are interrelated, scores in lecture and
laboratory will be combined to calculate one grade worth 4 units. Evaluations of laboratory reports, group
projects and examinations shall score organization, content, writing mechanics,
utilization of physical principles and/or of mathematical equations, and visual
presentation. Examinations will include
laboratory material, and laboratory exercises will build upon concepts
introduced in lecture. Students shall
receive continuous feedback through timely evaluation of all work submitted.
Course grades are calculated as follows:
Midterm Exam 30%
Final Exam 30
%
Laboratory
Report and Group Projects 40%
*Passing letter grades will
correspond approximately with these ranges:
100-90 (A); 89-80 (B);
79-70 (C); 69-60 (D)
A curve may be used to adjust these
grades downward slightly, but no overall
course
grade below 50% will be considered passing.
Assessment of
Course: Student performance on examinations and laboratory
assignments will provide instructor with quantitative data that directly
measures the degree to which educational outcomes have been achieved. Students will also be asked to assess the
course by completing a written course evaluation form during Week 10 (please
see Instructional Assessment form below). Questions 1-5 provide
quantitative feedback regarding teaching qualities of the instructor. Questions 6-8 provide quantitative measures
of how the student perceived the course; e.g., how well the course held student
interest, how much the student learned, and how highly the student would
recommend the course to others.
INSTRUCTIONAL ASSESSMENT FORM
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1 |
Was the sequence of the course content
presented in a logical progression?
1=logical, 5=random |
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How well does the instructor explain the
course material and related assignments? |
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How well does the instructor respond to
student questions? |
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How well did the overall course components
(lectures, assignments, discussions, readings, etc.) prepare you for exams? |
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What is your overall opinion of the teaching
effectiveness of the instructor? |
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Over the length of the quarter how well did
the course hold your interest? |
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Considering your level of knowledge prior to
taking the course, how much have you learned this quarter?
1=Very much, 5=Very little |
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Based upon your overall perception of the
course experience how highly would you recommend this instructor/course to others? 1=Very highly, 5=Not at all. |
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INSTRUCTIONS
AND PROCEDURES |
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In no manner should you identify yourself on
this form. |
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Should you wish to write constructive comments
please use back of this form. |
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The instructor should not be present when the
evaluation is conducted. |
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A student or other suitable administrator
should conduct the evaluation. |
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The designated evaluation administrator is
responsible for the collection and return of the evaluation to the Geological Sciences Dept. 8-242. |
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