Engineering and ecological geology

The Head of the Chair, Professor V.T.Trofimov

The Chair of Engineering and Ecological Geology provides students with profound fundamental knowledge and practical skills in the following areas of specialization: "Engineering Geology", "Soil Science and Soil Stabilization", "Environmental Geology and Ecological Geology".

Among the main courses provided by the Chair are "Engineering Geology", "Soils Science", "Engineering Geodynamics", "Regional Engineering Geology", "Chemical Analysis of Soils", "Geoinformational Systems in Engineering Geology", "Soil Grouting", "Soil and Rock Mass Mechanics", "Monitoring of Geological Environment", "Engineering Geological Calculations and Modeling", "Environmental Geology", "Ecological-Geological Mapping", etc.

The following are the most recent publications: "Ecological geology", "Ecological-geological maps", "Soil Engineering", "Engineering geological calculations and modeling".

Scientific research in soil engineering and soil grouting is aimed at studying different soils and rocks, both of natural and artificial (technogenic) origin, soil dynamics and purification of polluted soils. Over recent time a technique for soil microstructure quantitative analysis using scanning electron microscopy images has been developed. Clay soils were classified according to their mineralogy and microstructure. An expert system based on clay soils composition, structure and properties has been proposed to predict clay soils behavior under the influence of natural and technogenic factors. Also, structural-geological and petro-genetic regularities of alteration of mechanical properties of effusive rocks of various age have been identified and a mathematical model of dynamic deformation of soils has been developed.

Practical training in soil and rock mass mechanics

In the Laboratory of engineering geodynamics mechanisms of slope and other geological processes as well as stress state of soil/rock massifs are studied.

The Laboratory of regional engineering geology deals with theoretical and methodological problems of engineering geological research. Loesses and nature of their collapsibility, engineering geological conditions in permafrost zone are also under investigation.

The Laboratory of ecological geology studies the influence of geological conditions on biota and, especially, human being. The development of a new type of geological maps displaying information not only on the present conditions of subsurface part of the Earth crust but also on the biota should be mentioned especially.

Field studies are carried out in Western and Eastern Siberia, Central Asia, the Caucasus, in valleys of the large rivers - the Volga, Kama, Amur, Dnestr, - alongside the Baikal-Amur railroad and in other regions.

In the Laboratory of Electron Microscopy