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A second review of the international status of engineering geology — encompassing hydrogeology, environmental geology and the applied geosciences |
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| Authors: | Allen W Hatheway George M Reeves |
| Institution: | a Department of Geological & Petroleum Engineering, 129 McNutt Hall, University of Missouri-Rolla, Rolla MO 65401-0249, USA b Geotechnical Engineering, Department of Civil Engineering, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, UK |
| Abstract: | Engineering geology, in 1996, worldwide, was experiencing considerable turmoil due to the uncertain nature of national economies and the general situation of inadequate funds to meet the demands of failing of the national infrastructures that serve citizens. Aside from the previously war-damaged cities of Western Europe, new public service systems of transportation and utilities elsewhere often lagged well behind growth. It will be some time before international aid and civil engineering contracts are initiated for anything other than humanitarian and basic emergency aid work in these areas. Many countries in the western hemisphere, eastern Europe, the former Soviet Union and developing nations in particular are still in need of basic water and sewage services as well as repair and replacement of old existing systems. Continued partisan warfare in the Balkan states of Albania, Bosnia, Croatia and Serbia forecast the eventual need for redevelopment. Rumblings of broad-scale economic problems in Far-Eastern economies did little to make overseas contract opportunities in these areas very attractive. Large consulting firms were challenged by an increasing number of individual and small practices who are prepared to operate on 1970's rates and prices for services and government and industry was taking advantage of that situation. More and more individuals were offering services in engineering geology and associated engineering fields and there was a sense of not having enough work to go around. Hence, price competition was again being promoted. Consequently in both Europe and the Americas, the variability of competence was enlarging and a significant amount of so-called ‘professional ’ work was lacking in overall quality. This was especially evident in ‘Environmental’ areas of work. This begs the question: ‘Is not engineering geology, or any other aspect of applied geosciences, not environmental in nature and essence, fundamentally and in entirety?’ Environmental restoration demands were still being made by governments, but the pressure to complete such work was being relaxed on account of economics. Our clients were asking for more service at lower fees. Clients were still largely unwilling to openly acknowledge that less money spent on competent engineering geologic consultation means that more risk should be accepted by the owner or operator of projects. |
| Keywords: | Applied geoscience Environmental geology Hydrogeology Engineering geology professional practice |
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