Week 6: Engineering Practice, Properties, Natural Hazards Flashcards
What does one need to have to become a professional engineer?
- Engineering degree from an accredited engineering program at a Canadian University (or possess equivalent qualifications)
- Fulfill engineering work experience required for the respective province or territory for whence you’re applying for a license.
- Pass the Professional Practice Examination (PPE - good ethics)
- Demonstrate good character.
- Language requirements (must demonstrate ability to communicate in both English and French, depending on province or territory).
What is the responsibility of the Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board?
Reviews and accredits all engineering programs in Canada.
List five examples of physical PROPERTIES of a mineral/rock body.
- bpt
- fpt
- mpt
- condensation point
- evap. point
- ductility
- malleability
- solubility
- electrical conductivity
- brittle
- magnetic
- thermal conductivity
- porosity
- permeability
- resistivity
List five examples of physical CHANGES in a mineral/rock body.
- boiling
- freezing
- melting
- condensing
- evaporating
- stretching into wire
- hammer into sheet
- dissolving
- moving electricity
- shattering
- magnetic conduction
- moves thermal energy
What are the average porosities (%) of sand, sandstone, mud, shale, chalk, and limestone?
Sand: 30-50% Sandstone: 1-5% Mud: 70-80% Shale: 5-20% Chalk: 50% Limestone: 20%
Permeability is a function of:
The speed of groundwater flow.
v = k(delta h/delta L)
Where k is the permeability coefficient, h is the hydraulic head, and L is the distance between two points of measurement.
What is ‘specific gravity’, and how is it different from ‘specific weight’?
Specific gravity: the ratio of the density of a substance to the density of a standard (water, with S.G. = 1).
Specific weight: Weight of a substance per unit volume (mass x g)/(m^3)
What is stress, and what is the equation for stress?
Force applied per unit area.
Stress (sigma) = Force / Area
N/m^2
What is strain? Linear strain?
Strain is the change in the shape or size of a rock caused by stress.
Linear strain (epsilon): change in length / original length
What is the equation for elastic stiffness? (elastic force)
Elastic force = kx
Where k = stiffness coefficient, x = displacement
What is another equation for stress that involves Young’s Modulus, E?
Stress (sigma) = E x epsilon
Recall: epsilon = linear strain
What are the three types of strength that a rock body may succumb to?
- Compressive
- Tensile
- Shear
Granite has ___ compressive strength, but ___ tensile strength.
Granite has HIGH compressive strength, but LOW tensile strength.
STIFFER material constitutes a _____ applied stress vs. strain graph and a _____ value for Young’s Modulus, E.
STIFFER material constitutes a STEEP applied stress vs. strain graph and a HIGH value for Young’s Modulus, E.
STRONGER material contains a _____ drop on the applied stress vs. strain graph than weaker material.
STRONGER material contains a HIGHER drop on the applied stress vs. strain graph than weaker material.
The applied stress vs. strain graph for a MORE DUCTILE material will contain a _____ while a LESS DUCTILE material will contain an immediate _____.
The applied stress vs. strain graph for a MORE DUCTILE material will contain a PLATEAU while a LESS DUCTILE material will contain an immediate DROP.
What is the linear equation for shear stress, tau?
T (tau) = c + (mu)(sigma)
Where c is the cohesion (y-intercept), mu is the friction coefficient, and sigma is the normal stress.
What is ‘mass wasting’?
Downslope movement of rock and soil under direct influence of gravity.
List three controls and/or triggers of mast wasting.
- Saturation of material with water (water pressure reduces frictional resistance, cohesion, and adds weight)
- Oversteepened slopes
- Loss of anchoring vegetation
- Earthquake vibration
Describe a ‘rock fall’ and the triggers associated with it.
- Extremely rapid mass movement in which rocks of any size fall through air
- Trigger: undercutting, earthquakes, frost wedging, chem. weathering
Describe a ‘rock slide’ and the triggers associated with it.
- Generally very fast and destructive onslaught of rock mass down inclined slope
- Trigger: earthquakes, rain, snow melt in spring
What was the most famous Canadian rock slide?
Frank Slide (1903)
44,000,000m^3
70 fatalities
Describe a ‘slump’ and the triggers associated with it.
- Downward sliding mass of rock or unconsolidated material as a unit a long a curved surface
- Rupture forms spoon-shaped scrap
- Block tilts backward due to rotation
- Trigger: oversteepened slopes
Describe
‘debris flow’.
- Rapid event that involves flow of soil and regolith with large amount of water
- (Lahars) composed mostly of wet volcanic materials that rush down flanks of volcanoes
