Waterloo has a Geological Engineering program that seems to get overlooked by many prospective applicants for some reason. Maybe because it’s small, only about 25 to 30 available spaces. Or maybe people just don’t realize what it’s about. So I talked with the current director of the program, Prof. Stephen Evans, and he gave me some insights and nice photographs of geological engineering examples. I’ll summarize a few key ideas about the Geological Engineering program:
- It’s the intersection of civil engineering and earth science, and provides the ability to assess how the changing earth might affect the integrity and long term security of civil engineering structures and our societies.
- There are a wide variety of jobs involving foundations for major buildings and structures, natural resource management (mining, hydroelectric, oil & gas), infrastructure construction and safety (dams, reservoirs, roads, railways), and managing geohazards (landslides, earthquakes, volcanoes).
- It may be for you if you like travel, sustainable design, engineering to minimize natural hazard risks, and the interactions of infrastructure and nature.
Below are some pictures Prof. Evans has taken of geological engineering examples. Several of these are from field trip locations our students have travelled to in past years.
Field trip to Iceland to see Geothermal Energy (and tourism)
Field trip to Lake Palcachocha, Peruvian Andes to see glacial lake engineering and climate change effects.
Field trip to Antamina Mine, Peruvian Andes.
Field trip to open pit mine in Peru.
Rockslide in Rocky Mountans, Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada.
Field trip to Jasper National Park for geological mapping.
Hydroelectric dam on the Yellow River, China.
Mica Dam, BC Hydro, on Columbia River, British Columbia, Canada
A Professor in Waterloo Engineering 