GROUP PROJECT 1 (KA10502 ENGINEERING GEOLOGY)

Instruction: Form a group of maximum 5 members;

1. Watch the Youtube video: Second From Disaster Series - Mountain
Tsunami (Reference a)
2. Read the given journals (Reference b and c) and other suggested
resources
3. Prepare a report answering the following questions as the content. Use
font 11, Tahoma, Maximum 15 pages exclude the cover page.
4. Submission date: Week 4
INTRODUCTION: Introduce the reservoir project (location, dimensions, purpose,
contractor, etc)
CONTENT: Answer the following questions;
1. Explain the following

geological terms used in these reading materials :

design pressures, geologic features, folding, faulting.

2. Do you think the dam design is sound? Do you think the dam is a product of
quality construction? Explain why.
3. What was the age of the dam at the occurrence of the devastating slide
detailed in this paper? Prepare a chronological timetable detailing the
important events leading to the disaster.
4. What feature suggests that the valley was landslide-prone before they built
the dam? You may Refer Fig. 1 (Reference b) for your answer.
5. Why the mountain tsunami was so much bigger than expected (compared to
the experimental model)?
6. Read the description of the Malm Formation under "The geologic setting"
(Reference b). List and explain all words here that you think are significant
clue in conveying to the reader a problem with respect to slope stability.
7. Was the occurrence of the slide a complete surprise or was there some
forewarning? If it was not a surprise, list the times and types of forewarning
that were available.
8. A previous slide occurred in 1960 near the dam. Why didn't this slide cause a
disaster? In what way might this slide have instilled a false sense of security
into the minds of engineers who managed the reservoir?
9. Use graph (or engineering) paper or the computer, make a graph of rate of
creep in cm/day (y-axis) vs. time (x-axis) given on page 36 (Reference b).

Mathematically, what type of function is described by this graph? If you wish

to modify your answer to question 7 above, do so here.
10.If you ignore the labels and the caption of Fig. 5 (Reference b) and simply
look at the geological formations, is there anything that tells you that this
valley constitutes a hazardous landslide-prone site?
CONCLUSION: Answer the following questions;
1. Does excellence in engineering design guarantee final success of a project? If
not, what additional resource(s) are needed?
2. If a liability suit evolved from this failure, who would be liable?
3. What do you think are the main lessons from this case study?
REFERENCES:
a) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqp7qOHHa4s
(DAM:
Second
From
Disaster Video)
b) Vaiont Reservoir Disaster : Geologic Causes of Tremendous Landslide
Accompanied By Destructive Flood Wave (George A. Keirsch)
c) The 1963 Landslide and Flood at Vaiont Reservoir Italy, A Tsunami Ball
Simulation (Steven N. Ward, Simon Day)
OTHER RESOURCES:
d)
e)
f)
g)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqkFXm2HtMA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZxQ2SXqFb18
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_HiPBdHSMA
University
Of
Colorados
Engineering
Geology
(http://ceae.colorado.edu/)

Course