What is a Concrete Slab and Buttress Dam? A Concrete Slab and Buttress Dam is a freshwater-retaining structure comprising reinforced concrete slabs that are supported in-place by buttresses. The foundation of a Concrete Slab and Buttress Dam receives a large load. Thus, the foundation must be structurally sound, impervious, and competent. The alternative types of dams…

Oblique-Slip Fault Oblique-Slip Fault: In geology, an oblique-slip fault is a fault that moves parallel to the strike or dip of the fault plane.

Direct Shear Test A Direct Shear Test is a geotechnical engineering laboratory procedure that measures the shear strength value of a soil sample.

Methane Alarm System Methane Alarm System: As per the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety (LADBS) Methane Code, Ordinance Number 175790, a methane alarm system is part of an active methane mitigation plan. A methane alarm system is a group of interacting components and circuits that synchronize to monitor and annunciate the status of…

Rock Stratigraphic Unit In the field of geology, a rock stratigraphic unit, or a lithostratigraphic unit, is a geologic formation that is identifiable by a specific lithology, as well as a consistent stratigraphic position. For example, the Monterey Formation is a rock stratigraphic unit, as it tends to consistently comprise the same gravel and sand…

Dilatancy “Dilatancy” is the increase in the bulk volume of a soil substance during deformation. Dilatancy is caused by the change from a close-pack structure to an open-pack structure.