This significant new book by foremost experts in
the field will be the first that truly covers the topic
of engineering geomorphology as a distinct discipline
and, as such, will be of paramount importance to both
practitioners and students. Engineering geomorphology is
concerned with the evaluation of landform changes,
especially the effects of construction on the
environment, notably on the operation of surface
processes and the risks from surface processes, whether
current processes or the legacies of past processes.
Engineering geomorphology provides practical support for
engineering decision-making (project planning,
investigation, design and construction) and engineering
geomorphologists form an integrate part of the
engineering or environmental team. Engineering
geomorphology has developed in the last few decades to
support a number of distinct areas of engineering,
including river engineering, coastal engineering, and
geotechnical engineering, where engineering
geomorphology has complemented engineering geology and
has proven to be valuable, especially for rapid site
reconnaissance and slope stability studies.
Geomorphology provides a spatial context for developing
site models and explaining the distribution and
characteristics of particular ground-related problems
(e.g. landslides, permafrost or the presence of
aggressive soils) and resources (e.g. sand and gravel).
Engineering geomorphology can also be applied to
agricultural engineering, primarily in the investigation
and management of soil erosion problems. This book
includes basic concepts that underpin efforts to explain
the causes, mechanisms and consequences of landform
change. It then considers how the land surface works in
the context of wetland, flatland, hills, mountains,
rivers and coasts; and the techniques that are available
to the engineering geomorphologist in the field, in the
laboratory, in the office and in the various forms of
remote sensing. Each succinct chapter is packed with
vital information, well-illustrated with diagrams and
tables and fully referenced so that the detail of
subject matter can be followed up.
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