Geotechnical Engineering Technology

Engineering involves a lot of theory. But we don't always get to see it in practice. This continuing series teaches fundamental principles that all civil and mechanical engineers need to know, alongside demonstrations that show how they really work.

- We use all kinds of measuring tools in our everyday lives. Rulers, protractors, squares, and tape measures, et cetera. These work fine for small and medium sized projects, but what if we need to lay out something big, like a road, bridge, dam, or pipeline?

- One of the most important considerations when you build anything is the material. It impacts everything from the look and feel to the more fundamental characteristics like weight and strength. But maybe the most significant aspect of a construction material, is its cost. Infrastructure is not made to be glamorous, and it's often paid for by you and me through taxes so, we like to keep the costs down. And there's one construction material that's cheaper than just about anything else out there. Dirt. - Today we're talking about reinforced earth.

- When most people think about property damage they think about natural disasters. But what if I told you there is a slow-moving, geologic phenomenon that causes more damage in the United States than earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, and tornadoes combined. Today we're talking about expansive soils. If you've ever been to a place where the ground looks like this, or been in a building that looks like this, or this, there's a good chance you were in a place that had expansive soils.