1. Engineering geology at University of Mines
(St. Petersburg, Russia)
Anna SHIDLOVSKAYA, PhD
Associate professor
St. Petersburg University of Mines
Russia

2. Engineering geology schools in Russia
Russia has more than 40 engineering geology schools located in
different regions – Moscow, Saint-Petersburg, Volga region, Eastern
and Western Siberia, Northern Caucasus and others.

3. Engineering geology has a solid foundation and
is historically applied to mining problems
 Development and expansion of the mining and metallurgical industries in
Russia at the XVII-XVIII centuries required training specialists including
geologist and mining engineers who were able to manage the complicated
process of exploration and mining of ore deposits. This period is associated
with V.I.Gennin, V.N.Tatishev, M.V.Lomonosov and others.
University of Mines (St. Petersburg)
V.I.Gennin, V.N.Tatishev
(Ekaterinburg)

4. The Empress Catherine the
Great
M.V. LomonosovPeter the Great
 On October 21th (November 1st), 1773 the Empress Catherine the Great wrote
the Decree for creating the Mining Engineering School "so be it " bringing to
reality Peter the First and M.V. Lomonosov’s ideas of training engineers for
the development of mining and metallurgy.
 The establishment and development (1773-1803) of the Mining School aimed at
training highly qualified expert for mining and metallurgical industries.
 In March 1833 the Mining Cadet’s Corps was renamed the Institute of Mining
Engineers Corps, and in 1866 it became the Mining Institute. In 1999, it was
again renamed the University of Mines.

5. Neva River
St. Petersburg
Peter the
Great
St. Petersburg is located next to the main
branch of the delta.

6. St. Petersburg from the Air
St. Isaak’s Cathedral
St. Isaak’s Cathedral
St. Isaak’s Cathedral

7. Kazan Cathedral
St. Isaak’s Cathedral Church on Blood
Smolniy Cathedral

8.  The school “Engineering Geology” was founded at the University of Mines in
1930 to serve hydraulic, mining, and civil engineering.
 Before that in 1836 at the University of Mines started to teach the course
“Practical geology” with an expect to the current engineering geology.
 The first head of the department was professor Nikolay Bobkov who
graduated from the University of Mines in 1914. He was the first who defined
the problem of “soil-structure interaction”. Bobkov taught the course
“Engineering geology” for undergraduate students. He also organized the
laboratory on physical and mechanical properties of soil in the 1930s.
Engineering geology at University of Mines
Professor V.
Lomtadze
Professor N.
Bobkov
Professor V.
Mironenko
Professor I. Ivanov Professor R. Dashko

9.  Bobkov first translated the book “Ingenieurgeologie” (authors
K.A. Redlich, K.v. Terzaghi, R. Kampe) from German into Russian.
This book for a long time was used as a textbook for students.
19321929

10. “Engineering geology”
1939 (Savarenskiy)
“Engineering geology”
1984 (Lomtadze)
“Engineering geodynamics”
1977 (Lomtadze)

11. “Soil and rock
mechanics”
1984 (Dashko)
“Soil mechanics”
1963 (Tsytovich)
“Gruntovedenie”
2005 (Moscow State
University)
“Engineering geology”
1982 (Sergeev)
“Geotechnics and
subsurface
microbiology” 2014
(Dashko, Vlasov,
Shidlovskaya)

12. Evolution of the topics in Russia
• Geology
• Engineering geology
• Foundation engineering
• Geotechnical engineering

13.  University of Mines has over 16.500 students, 9 faculties and 71
different degrees on offer - 46 kinds of bachelor undergraduate
degrees and 17 master’s programs
The University of Mines is Russia’s oldest higher education
school devoted to engineering. It was founded on October 21
OS (November 1 NS) 1773 by Empress Catherine II.
 Today the University of Mines offers all academic cycles, bachelor’s,
master’s and specialist’s profiles for future employees of Russian
and International companies engaged in estimation, prospecting,
exploitation, exploration and processing of raw materials, oil, gas,
diamonds, ores
 The University trains engineers for civil engineering and industrial
construction, mining engineering, energy, gas distribution, applied
economy, industrial security and geo-ecology

14.  Geological survey
 Oil and Gas
 Mining
 Construction
 Mechanics
 Energy
 Chemistry and Metallurgy
Faculties of University of Mines

15.  Engineering petrology (soil and rock properties)
 Soil and rock improvement
 Soil and rock mechanics
 Engineering structures (design of shallow and deep foundations, tunnels,
retaining walls etc.)
 Engineering geodynamics (slope stability, subsidence, sinkhole, drawdown of
the loess, seismic process, gas process, erosion and so on)
 Site-investigation
 Hydrogeology (basic positions)
 Ground water flow dynamics (water flow in soils and rocks)
 Geochemistry
 Geophysical methods of investigation
 Physical and mechanical properties of frozen soils
 Engineering problems of frozen soils
 Civilization and Engineering Construction Practices
 Engineering Geology for Petroleum and Gas Industry Construction
 Engineering Geology and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Engineering geological courses
(University of Mines, St. Petersburg)

16. International interaction
St. Petersburg University of Mines

17.  Fostering sustainable development of the
underground space for urban and industrial regions
including design, construction, and maintenance
of engineering structures while emphasizing an
interdisciplinary approach.
 Particular emphasis is given to engineering geology as
it relates to the prediction and protection of
structures against engineering geological and
geoenvironmental hazards, as well as evaluation of the
technical and economic benefits of research in
construction in general.
The goal of the research

18. Underground space as a multicomponent system
Ground Water Microbiota
Biochemical and
Deep Gases
Soils and Rocks
Underground Construction
(foundations, tunnels etc.)
Пикеты Пикеты

19.  Theoretical and practical basis of “underground space-engineering
structure” interaction
 Theory and practice of technogenesis of underground space (interface
between the natural and built environments with emphasis on ensuring the
sustainable and safe ”underground space-structure” interaction)
 Engineering geodynamics (processes in underground space)
 Engineering geology of mineral deposits (mining and processing)
 Engineering geology of cities and transport facilities
 Engineering geological problems of reconstruction and restoration of
architectural monuments
 Engineering geology of industry (mines, industrial regions)
 Engineering geology and subsurface microbiology
 Engineering geology of hydro-structures (dams, reservoirs, tailings, sludge
storages)
 Engineering geological disposal of hazardous industrial wastes
(radioactive) in clay formation
 Comprehensive monitoring of cities and mining underground space
 Comprehensive utilizing the mineral deposits (ores and mineral
underground ground water) of iron-rich ore mine
Research topics of engineering geology

20. Engineering geological and geotechnical problems
associated with
reconstruction and restoration of architectural
monuments
subway and mining tunnels construction and
maintenance
engineering geomicrobiology (engineering microbe-
underground space interaction) for sustainable maintenance
of civil engineering structures and mines
engineering geological monitoring of St. Petersburg’s
architectural monuments
design, construction and operation of high-rise building
foundations
Special topics of interest

21. Construction and operation of high-rise building
(Lakhta Center, 462 m)

22. Reconstruction and restoration of architectural
monuments. St. Isaak’s Cathedral (St. Petersburg)
WEST EAST

23. Construction and operation of subway tunnels

24. EFFECT OF MICROBIAL ACTIVITY ON CONSTRUCTION
MATERIALS
Macro-porosity in
timber
Bio-corrosion in subway and mining
tunnels