Environmental geotechnology

Specific Foundation / Core

After successfully attending the course the postgraduate student should be capable of: - Identifying and assessing the types, extent and risk of environmental impacts due to unstable soils, erosions, contaminations, etc. - Applying modern geotechnologies for the prediction, evasion and confrontation of the hazards connected with the geoenvironment. - Conducting studies on geoenvironmental impacts caused by the construction of infrastructure works, the storage of wastes, the exploitation of natural resources etc.

Geoenvironmental hazards and problems: Types, causes and interactions. Financial, social and environmental impacts. Ground – water system: Effect of water fluid flow at the behavior and stability of soils. Behavior of unsaturated soils. Consolidation of saturated soils. Soil constructions. Ways of slidings. Experience from Greek and International spectrum. Numerical approach. Settlements. Elements of Soil science and Geochemistry: Soil erosion. Types and causes of erosion. Environmental impacts (technical, agricultural and financial). Erodibility of grounds and rock masses. Soil pollution. Engineering properties and use of plants. Protection of slopes by using mild and environmentally friendly measures. New techniques in constructing embankments and stabilizing pits. Geotechnical issues related to constructing embankments and small ground dams in troubled regions. Geological and geotechnical criteria in selecting deposition sites for urban waste management. Organizing environmental impact studies. Special techniques of underground prospecting. Laboratory test. Safety conditions in executing research at waste deposition sites. Development of a database in a G.I.S. environment. Evaluation of region’s adequacy. Application of software to evaluate the geological and geotechnical parameters with use of numerical simulations. Geological and geotechnical aspects related to designing the primary drainage system of urban areas. Design of waste reservoir after the biological wastewater treatment. Techniques of chemical waste deposition (high risk). Superficial deposition – bio recycling. Deposition in great depth. Issue of nuclear waste deposition. Management of low radiation waste. Waste of high radiation. Special topisc of geotechnical engineering and Rock Mechanics (hydraulic features of rock masses, effect of temperature at engineering properties). Topics of designing underground burial sites at great depths. International applied research programmes. Future developments of research and practices. Topics on Geotechnical Engineering at Environmental Impact Studies of infrastructure projects. Aesthetics of geotechnical projects and adaptation to the surrounding environment: Small integration projects. Environmental impacts from rural and underground mining. Geotechnical restoration, reuse of old waste deposition sites. Criteria - technologies of clearing, stabilizing and consolidating.

Geoenvironmental hazards, Environmental impacts, Ground – Water system, Soil erosion, Waste deposition, Hazardous wastes

09-01-2017