Hardpan (Caliche) “Hardpan” is a highly dense and solid layer of soil near the ground surface, which is usually comprised of clay or silty-clay soils. Hardpan forms by cementation over time, during the process of precipitation of insoluble substances such as calcium carbonates, silica, iron oxides, and other organic matter. “Hardpan” is a term mostly…

Environmental Compliance Definition Environmental Compliance: Environmental Compliance is the action and fact by which an individual or business complies with every applicable environmental law, standard, code, policy, and regulation. Environmental Compliance is required for any entity to become a qualifying environmentally sustainable organization and is a priority for public health matters and business ethics. Essentially,…

Rigidity Definition Rigidity – In geotechnical engineering and engineering geology, rigidity represents the ratio of the shear stress and the amount of angular rotation that it produces, within a rock sample.

Listric Fault Listric Fault: In the field of geology, a listric fault refers to a fault with a curved fault plane. Most listric faults comprise a steeply dipping section near the surface. But the fault plane becomes increasingly flat with depth. Listric faults can be normal faults or reverse faults.

Growth Fault Growth Fault: In geology, a growth fault is a strike-slip fault or dip-slip fault that moves contemporaneously with deposition. This causes the throw (amount of vertical displacement) to increase with depth and the strata to be thicker on the downthrown side as compared to the upthrown side.