Lectures (two-hour blocks)

1. Introduction, structure of the Earth, relationship between earthquakes, tectonics and volcanism, rock cycle and rock classification.
2. Mafic and felsic rock-forming minerals, their formation and identification features.
3. Formation of igneous rocks, principal petrographic types and their use in construction practice.
4. Formation of sedimentary rocks, principal petrographic types and their use in construction practice.
5. Formation of metamorphic rocks, principal petrographic types and their use in construction practice.
6. Principles of regional geology of the Czech Republic, raw material resources of the Czech Republic, groundwater, slope movements.

Exercises (two-hour blocks)

1. Introduction, link between geology and construction, geological maps, principle laboratory tests, assignment of semester seminar work/geotechnical project.
2. Determination properties of silicate and non-silicate minerals.
3. Practical identification of principal petrographic types, textures and structures of igneous rocks.
4. Practical identification of principal petrographic types, textures and structures of sedimentary rocks.
5. Practical identification of principal petrographic types, textures and structures of metamorphic rocks.
6. Defence of the semester project, identification of main rock types, credit.

Learning outcomes

• Professional knowledge: Students will become familiar with the main types of rocks, including natural processes that affect their quality over time. Students will also gain professional knowledge from the perspective of the use of geomaterials in construction. Students will learn how to use geological maps and become familiar with the basics of hydrogeology and regional geology of the Czech Republic. Last but not least, students will learn to methodically process a construction geological survey of foundation soil.

• Professional skills: Students will be able to determine and describe the properties and behaviour of the main rock types. They will learn to identify and classify endogenous and exogenous factors that affect the quality of the subsoil.

• Professional competencies: Students will gain practical experience with the behaviour and properties of rocks and soils in the field. They will learn to design and process foundation soil surveys for simple types of building structures.