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Geology in Practice. Presidential Address Section 3, Geology, ANZAAS Meeting

tunnels, power. stations and pumping plants ; and also main roads, large bridges and large buildings. On many of these kinds of projects as on many lesser ones, the systematic application of geology has become standard practice at all stages of development, from initial planning investigation, through detailed design to construction and maintenance. This has come about to a large extent through the increasing ability of geologists to apply their science in terms of the engineering requirements.

Large dams are among the most complex projects with which geologists have to deal, and they are particularly important since no risk of failure can be accepted. A sudden collapse releasing large volumes of water could cause catastrophe downstream.

To remove the risk, meticulous attention must be given to every possible source of weakness. The need to do this has been re-emphasized by several major dam failures overseas in the past 10 years due to geological defects which were not properly taken into account.

Malpasset Dam, a thin concrete arch of advanced design in France, collapsed due to sliding within the rock foundations supporting one abutment. Vajont Dam, a very high thin concrete dam, was over-topped by a flood wave 600 feet high thrown up by the sudden sliding of a huge block of rock from the valley wall into the reservoir;

the dam wall survived, but the sudden flood caused much damage and loss of life downstream. Baldwin Hills Dam in California, an earth wall, was breached by erosion initiated by differential movement along a fault plane allowing seepage to take place.

Therefore, in the siting, design and construction of a large dam many aspects of the geology of the site come up for consideration, including the strength of the soil or rock foundations and the effects of loading them by the combined action of the dam and the impounded water; assessment of the risk of movement along fault planes and of shaking of the structure by earthquakes; the quantity of stripping required to reach satisfactory foundations and the treatment necessary to make good local defects; the quantity and effects of leakage of water past the dam which might occur through the foundations and through the reservoir rim, and the grouting required to counteract such leakage; the means of passing floods safely through spillways; the stability of cut-slopes; the effect of changing reservoir levels on slope stability; the effects of changes in river regime on siltation of the reservoir, on erosion of the channel downstream and on raising the water table.

The task of the engineering geologist is to identify the geological factors which are significant to the engineering project and make sure that they are adequately investigated.

Details for this article:

Geology in Practice

X

Author: Moye, D.G. (1970)

Article Title: Geology in Practice. Presidential Address Section 3, Geology, ANZAAS Meeting

From: Australian Journal of Science 32(12)

Other Available Articles

Engineering geology for the Snowy Mountains Scheme

Moye, D.G. (1955)

Engineering geology for the Snowy Mountains Scheme.

J.I.E.Aust., Vol. 27 No.10 pp287–298

Rock Mechanics in the Investigation and Construction of T.1 Underground Power Station, Snowy Mountains, Australia

Moye, D.G. (1958)

Rock Mechanics in the Investigation and Construction of T.1 Underground Power Station, Snowy Mountains, Australia

In Engineering Geology Case Histories No.3 123–54 Geological Society of America 69 (12) p.1617

Existence of high horizontal rock stresses in rock masses.

Moye, D.G. (1962)

Existence of high horizontal rock stresses in rock masses.

Proc. Third Australia-New Zealand Conference on Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering. pp 19–22

Seismic Activity in the Snowy Mountains Region and its Relationship to Geological Structures

J. R. Cleary, H. A. Doyle, D. G. Moye (1964)

SEISMIC ACTIVITY IN THE SNOWY MOUNTAINS REGION AND ITS RELATIONSHIP TO GEOLOGICAL STRUCTURES

Journal of the Geological Society of Australia

Unstable rock and its treatment in the Snowy Mountains Scheme.

Moye, D.G. (1965)

Unstable rock and its treatment in the Snowy Mountains Scheme.

Proc. 8th Commonwealth Mining and Metallurgical Congress, Australia & New Zealand. Vol. 6, p. 423–441.

Diamond drilling for foundation exploration

Moye, D.G. (1967)

Diamond drilling for foundation exploration.

Paper 2150 presented at I.E.Aust. Site Investigation Symposium, September 1966. In Civil Engineering Transactions, with Discussion, April 1967.

Geology in Practice

Moye, D.G. (1970)

Geology in Practice. Presidential Address Section 3, Geology, ANZAAS Meeting.

Australian Journal of Science, 32 (12) June, p454–461.

* This paper was presented when Dan had been Director of Exploration of BHP for 3 years.

Field and Laboratory Tests in Rock Mechanics

Alexander, L. G (1960)

Field and Laboratory Tests in Rock Mechanics

Proceedings, 3rd Australian-New Zealand Conference on Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering, Sydney Australia, 1960, pp. 161–168.

Discussion at Technical Session No. 9—Rock Mechanics

Alexander, L. G. Moye, D. G. (1960)

Discussion at Technical Session No. 9—Rock Mechanics

Proceedings, 3rd Australian-New Zealand Conference on Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering, Sydney Australia, 1960, pp. 254–250