What do geotechnical engineers do?

Geotechnical engineers in Perth work with earth materials. Generally speaking, this type of

engineering involves the study of and work with foundations, slopes, and other systems concerning

soil or rock. There is analysis of problems, modelling, and design. Soil and rock mechanics are utilized

to explore conditions of the subsurface and evaluate the stability of site conditions before work is

performed there. Some of the different types of fields that these engineers work in are civil

engineering, military, mining, and any ground construction based field.

What a geotechnical engineer in Perth does for work is typically called a project. When a project is

made available, it is first thoroughly looked over to determine the required material properties. By

carefully studying these properties of soil, rock, and other things such as fault distribution

properties, the safest and best way to perform construction on the site can then be determined.

Possible hazards can be uncovered and the amount of risk in performing the work gauged. This kind

of study can help to understand if there is a potential hazard of such things as sinkholes, rock falls,

earthquakes, and landslides, and therefore determine whether the site can be safely constructed

upon. Once the investigation is complete, the engineer can use the information collected to design

the foundation and sub-grades that will be needed for the project being constructed.

There are different types of jobs that geotechnical engineering in Perth can involve, in addition to

projects devoted to studying a site for construction. For example, earthworks include things such as

tunnels, levees, reservoirs, and embankments. There is also work with retaining structures such as

walls and dams. Ground Improvement is an engineering technique that improves soil mass

properties such as strength and permeability, in order to support a vast array of structures and save

money in the process.

Other types of geotechnical engineering in Perth include coastal engineering, which is concerned

with marinas among other things, and ocean engineering, which works with foundations for

structures such as platforms offshore. In addition, mining occupations also depend on geotechnical

engineering for their field of work.

To join other geotechnical engineers in Perth, there are different schools that a person may attend in

order to work toward their degree. A few offer courses specifically tailored to geotechnical

engineering, but in many schools the field of study will be civil engineering. Generally, a bachelor’s

degree or higher must be obtained, with the student learning about various aspects and tools that

are important for geotechnical engineering. Upon achieving the bachelor’s degree, a person may

then go out to gain supervised experience as an apprentice, although some prefer to pursue a

master’s in order to access a wider variety of opportunities in the field and to be able to eventually

achieve supervisory status. In order to become a practicing geotechnical engineer, a person must

first pass the exams to become a civil engineer. Upon obtaining that license, a person may then

pursue licensure as a geotechnical engineer.

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