Geology

On May 28, 2025, the village of Blatten in the Swiss Alps is wiped off the map, engulfed by a torrent of ice and rock. One year later, a glacier collapse and a landslide north of Tsangbu Ri (Nepal) triggered a massive flood in the Trishuli Valley, resulting in the deaths of thousands of people.

Such events are no longer the exception. As the effects of climate change become increasingly evident, pressure on resources intensifies, and energy issues take on strategic importance, the relationship between humans and the Earth is transforming and becoming strained. Slope instability, water scarcity, the extraction of critical metals, and subsurface constraints: understanding geological mechanisms is no longer merely a scientific question, but an operational necessity.

This third edition addresses this new context. It presents, in a structured manner, the fundamentals of geology relevant to engineers: soils, rocks, mechanical and hydrogeological properties, analytical methods, and field investigation techniques. The book provides the keys to interpreting a geological context, assessing its implications, and guiding design, development, or exploitation. Its unique feature lies in its problem-based approach: realistic scenarios are woven throughout the book, placing the reader at the heart of the decision-making process, with detailed answer keys available online.

Intended for students and professionals in civil engineering, environmental science, Earth sciences, architecture, and urban planning, this book offers a clear, rigorous, and immediately applicable resource, enriched with numerous examples from around the world.

The original French edition of the book (2007) won the prestigious Roberval Prize, an international contest organized by the university of technology of Compiegne in collaboration with the general council of Oise, France. Geology, Basics for Engineers was selected out of a total of 110 candidates. The jury praised the book as a ‘very well conceived teaching textbook’ and underscored its highly didactic nature, as well as the excellent quality of its illustrations.