Geological Engineering is the application of geological knowledge to the siting, design, construction, operation and maintenance of civil engineering structures and facilities. It is one of the rapidly growing fields of engineering reflecting society’s developing interest in the stewardship of the environment, managing risk, and creating a safer world.
The field of Geological Engineering encompasses a wide range of activities including the geological characterization of complex foundations of major buildings and structures, development of natural resources (mining, water, hydroelectricity, forestry, oil and gas), investigation and assessment of groundwater movement and quality, the engineering safety of major infrastructure (dams, reservoirs, offshore drilling platforms, pipelines, roads and railways), and the assessment of geohazard risk (landslides, earthquakes, volcanoes, and the stability of natural dams). It also includes aspects of such fields as project finance and insurance, land-use planning, forensic geological engineering, and the application of geological knowledge to the repair and preservation of cultural heritage sites.
Geological Engineering at Waterloo is an attractive discipline for students who wish to pursue the challenge of combining the complexity of nature and engineering design, who are interested in the physical mechanics of the earth’s surface and subsurface, who enjoy travel and the outdoors. The subject has seamless transitions to geotechnical engineering and engineering geology. Canada has a global reach in geological engineering and currently professional job prospects on graduation are excellent. To learn more about these opportunities, visit Co-op and Careers.