Engineering and Coastal Geology Section

Mission

To provide expertise on the property behavior of earth materials for foundations and underground construction; to perform tests to analyze their properties; and to investigate and report on the potential impacts of natrual and human-caused hazards such as landslides, coal mine subsidence, and earthquakes.

Projects and Services

Coal Mine Subsidence

• Have documented characteristics of coal mine subsidence over abandoned mines and active mines
• Provide information on coal mine subsidence characteristics to homeowners
• Provide contacts for possible assistance
• Maintain a database on mine subsidence case histories

Earthquakes

• Provide information on earthquake history and general effects in central United States
• Take measurements of and provide information on soil characteristics that affect amplification of earthquake ground motion by soils
• Classify and map soils for earthquake ground motion amplification and liquefaction (maps are available on CUSEC Web site)
• Coordinate Central United States Earthquake consortium (CUSEC) mapping projects for state geologists
• Serve as liaison with Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) in development of earthquake exercises
• Foundation/structure problems
• Provide information to explain what may be causing damage
• Provide general information and suggestions to mitigate damage

Landslides

• Maintain a database on case histories
• Produce landslide potential maps
• Earthquake induced landslide analysisa
• Particle size laboratory
• Maintain database of analysis results

Siting Issues

• Provide reviews and reports on natrual and man-made hazards that could effect construction of facilities
• Provide material property and construction condition information

Soil and Rock Mechanics Laboratories

• Provide expertise on property behavior of soil and rock materials
• Maintain rock properties database