Geotechnical engineers use their knowledge of soil and rock properties to evaluate risk and solve problems on infrastructure projects. These can include:
- Civil infrastructure projects such as bridges, dams, reservoirs, power plants, roads, sewers, railways, airports, and housing projects
- Underground mines, open pit mines, and quarries
- Petroleum exploration, production, reservoir analysis, and the geomechanics of subsurface reservoir operations for conventional petroleum or oil sands projects
- New pipeline construction or existing pipeline maintenance
- Transmission lines
- Terrain analysis and remediation
- Major structures in rock such as tunnels, caverns, military bunkers, basements, and shafts
- Other projects involving soil, rock, and groundwater interactions such as forestry operations, waste management, and landslide prevention
Geotechnical engineers work with geologists, scientists, and other engineers. They often specialize or take part in working groups in specific areas. They may be generalists within that area or specialize further. These areas can include:
- Cold region or permafrost engineering
- Dam engineering and safety
- Foundation engineering and testing
- Geohazards and geomorphology
- Geophysical exploration
- Groundwater hydrology
- Land remediation
- Materials engineering and testing
- Mining and tailings management
- Numerical modelling
- Offshore exploration and engineering
- Rock engineering
- Seismic engineering
- Slope monitoring, analysis, and stabilization
- Soil-pipe stress interactions
- Tunnelling and trenchless technology
In general, geotechnical engineers:
- Provide practical geotechnical recommendations
- Check for cost implications of their recommendations
- Maintain client relationships and a thorough understanding of the end goal of a project
- Keep onsite safety standards in mind
Duties most often fall into 3 stages.
During literature review or desktop study, geotechnical engineers assess whether planned projects are feasible from an engineering point of view. They:
- Study geological maps, geotechnical reports, and aerial photos to understand potential subsurface conditions and risks
- Study the combined physical, geo-mechanical, and geo-environmental interactions of geological formations and construction projects
- Plan and coordinate the gathering, analysis, and mapping of different types of data (geotechnical, geological, geophysical, or geohydrological)
- Complete a preliminary review of proposed foundation plans based on potential ground conditions
- Assess possible geohazards
- Create a plan to prevent risks to the foundation, such as landslides, harsh climate conditions, and natural disasters
- Search for environmentally sensitive features such as waterbodies, landfills, or wildlife habitat
- Develop a site investigation program
During site investigation or monitoring, they carry out “ground truthing” exercises to assess potential risks to humans and the environment. They:
- Oversee major engineering works that involve excavation, embankments, cut-off walls, ponds, pipelines, or water-intake structures
- Inspect the site to confirm the desktop study
- Supervise the drilling crew as it collects soil samples or rock cores for laboratory testing
- Supervise investigations
- Solve complications such as unexpected subsurface conditions
- Prospect for minerals, building material resources, and drinking water
- Monitor conditions such as groundwater levels during and after construction
During lab testing and reporting, they:
- Complete lab testing of soil and rock samples
- Complete geotechnical calculations, numerical modelling, and drawings
- Prepare recommendations related to the proposed use of the site
- Use computers to store and analyze data and create computer-aided designs
