Geotechnical Engineering is a civil engineering branch that deals with soil and rock mechanics and how it is applied to the development of humankind. Under this discipline, the engineering behavior of earth materials is studied. Apart from being expedient to the civil engineering field, it is also significant in other engineering disciplines like military, petroleum, mining, or any other branch that focuses on construction that takes place on the earth’s surface. The key elements of geotechnical engineering include the design and construction of foundations, retaining structures, embankments, slopes, roadways, landfills wharves, levees and any other components made or buoyed by soil or rock. Geotechnical engineering is also concerned with the risk assessment linked to geohazards like earthquakes, or landslides that occurs on the earth’s surface (Som 3). By applying soil and rock mechanics principles, geotechnical engineering explore subsurface conditions and materials, examines the stability of natural slopes and man-made deposits, and control the pertinent physical, mechanical, or chemical features of these materials. In addition, it also evaluate risks that emerges from the condition of sites, plan earthworks and structure conditions, and also assess the conditions of a site, earthwork, and foundation construction.
It studies the behavior of soils when influenced by the existing loading forces and soil-water interactions. Geotechnical engineers have a wide range of knowledge as they are specialists in designing foundations, and provisional evacuation support, via route selection especially in highways or railways. Moreover, they also determine the landfill disposal of wastes and the contamination of groundwater. When determining the engineering properties of site soils and other materials, geotechnical engineering is comprised of field and laboratory investigations and an analytical study of site soils.
There are numerous adverse impacts of natural disasters designs in geotechnical engineering. In the contemporary world, engineering are expected to pay attention to the adverse impacts of natural disasters. Therefore, they are expected to come up with solutions that will protect and preserve the environment (Som 5). The geotechnical engineers must brace themselves and maintain the balance and harmony between the constructed and the existing natural surroundings. Since time immemorial, engineers have failed to formulate appropriate measures that provides proper infrastructure including housing, communication, transport, energy, or even water supply and sanitation. Most of the natural disasters designs has remained ineffective and failed to reduce the environmental impact.
Even though the built environment is perceived to create a conducive environment for people, there are concerns about the impact of these infrastructures on the natural environment. Researchers have approximated that 75% of the world’s population will be living in cities by 2030. Cities are speculated to contribute 75% of entire world’s pollution, and at the same time they utilizes 75% of the world’s energy. Building infrastructure releases 40% of the world’s carbon dioxide, and uses half of the energy got from fossil fuels. A large amount of raw materials is also required and this may deplete the existing natural resources on the earth’s surface. Geotechnical engineers have not succeeded in introducing effective measures that will curb excessive consumption of natural resources and the production of waste materials. A vast amount of construction waste in released to the environment and appropriate measures to handle the waste are not put into place by the engineers. It is important to note that the development of infrastructure leads to the depletion of natural resources and also contributes to accumulation of construction waste into the environment.
Natural disasters like floods, landslides, tsunamis, earthquakes or avalanches remains a threat to the human race. Unfortunately, geotechnical engineering has failed to come up with efficacious designs to reduce the impact of natural disasters. It is important to improve the geotechnical structures by applying geosynthetics in controlling natural disasters (Oreta et.al 2). Natural disasters deteriorates the natural environment. They cause massive loss of lives, and also injuries to survivors of catastrophic events.
The geotechnical designs to solve the natural disasters has proved futile and engineers must improve their approach. The environment causes adverse effects on infrastructure that stems from geotechnical engineering. It is important to note that man-made activities contributes to natural disasters in various ways. Some incidences destroy the balance in the natural environment and lead to natural calamities like volcanic eruptions, tsunamis, flash floods, landslides and many others.
Geotechnical engineers have a mandate of ensuring that their activities are according to the set norms and standards to avoid adverse effects associated with natural designs in engineering. In previous occasions, natural disasters have occurred due to structural deterioration of different buildings. For instance, ineffective engineers fail to uphold professionalism in their jobs and this might cause steel corrosion and foundation settlement. The use of the natural resources in construction and operation of infrastructures depletes the natural substances. The natural designs have also failed in handling the damaged infrastructures (Oreta et.al 3). In most occasions, costly repairs are involved the release of more waste into the environment takes place. The natural designs of geotechnical engineering have failed to solve the end-of-life effects of structures and debris of structures that are destroyed by disasters.
The lack of proper natural designs to handle disasters is a big blow to geotechnical engineering. To reduce the adverse impacts of natural disasters, it is important to ensure safety and stability designs are established. The existing models have failed in handling the exploitation of natural resources and reduce the adverse effects on the environment. Geotechnical engineers should devise new approaches that would guarantee safety and stability. When buildings are constructed without the evaluation of subsurface conditions, the high chances are that they affect the natural composition of the earth’s surface. In most situations, building infrastructures without assessing the construction sites leads to natural calamities like landslides or avalanches.
Work cited
Oreta, Andres Winston C., and D. Eng. "IMPACT OF NATURAL DISASTERS ON INFRASTRUCTURES AND THE ENVIRONMENT: DESIGNING FOR SAFETY AND STABILITY LEADS TO SUSTAINABILITY."
Som, Nitin. "Geotechnical Considerations of Natural Disasters and their Investigation."
