GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING

Geotechnical engineering, also known as geotechnics, is the branch of civil

engineering concerned with the engineering behavior of earth materials.
🔸 It uses the principles of soil mechanics and rock mechanics for the solution
of its respective engineering problems. It also relies on knowledge of geology,
hydrology, geophysics, and other related sciences. Geotechnical (rock)
engineering is a subdiscipline of geological engineering. (Wikipedia)

🔸 It is the study of the behaviour of soils under the influence of loading forces
and soil-water interactions.

🔸 This knowledge is applied to the design of foundations, retaining walls, earth

dams, clay liners, and geosynthetics for waste containment.

The goals of geotechnical engineers could range from the design of foundations
and temporary excavation support, through route selection for railways and
highways, to the increasingly important areas of landfill disposal of wastes and
groundwater contamination.
As such, the geotechnical engineer is involved in field and laboratory
investigations to determine the engineering properties of site soils and other
geomaterials and their subsequent use in the analytical study of the problem at
hand.
◾ The science of geotechnical engineering was primarily developed by the
Austrian Karl Terzaghi in the early 20th century. He was a professor at the
Vienna University of Technology and later at Harvard University.

◾ The Leaning Tower of Pisa experience is what prompted engineers to start

taking a more scientific approach to setting up foundations of buildings with
respect to soil design and structure. Significant soil theories guiding the
construction of building foundations began to emerge. A French engineer by
the name Henri Gautier recognized “natural slope” of different soils an idea
which later on developed into something known as soil’s angle of repose. And
then more principles of soil mechanics came into existence.

🔹 From a scientific perspective: geotechnical engineering largely involves

defining the soil's strength and deformation properties. Clay, silt, sand, rock
and snow are important materials in geotechnics.

🔹 Geotechnical engineering includes specialist fields such as soil and rock

mechanics, geophysics, hydrogeology and associated disciplines such as
geology. Geotechnical engineering and engineering geology are a branch of civil
engineering.

🔺 Research and development in geotechnical engineering is carried out to

improve and further refine equipment and methods for carrying out ground
surveys,
A. ) equipment and methods for surveying and testing sediment and rock
samples in a laboratory,

B. methods for calculating and analysing the behaviour and bearing

capacity of soil and rock when planning structures (buildings, bridges,
dams etc.), offshore installations, tunnels and subterranean spaces,
roads, railways etc.,
 C. methods for measuring, instrumenting and subsequently documenting
whether buildings and other structures behave the way they were
designed to.

This figure demonstrates several branches related to geotechnical engineering

and their overlap. Geotechnical engineering activities are a part of a team effort
involving other disciplines including geology, structural engineering,
construction management, hydraulics, earthquake and transportation
engineers, and other pertinent branches. The final design of any project reflects
a collaboration of these professions.
The complexity of the geology means that the geotechnical engineer is dealing
with particularly complicated and variable materials; their mechanical
properties usually vary with time and are critically dependent on the water
pressures in the ground, which can often change.

Geotechnics can thus be primarily considered as the science of the engineering

properties and behaviour of rocks and soils. Geotechnical engineering can be
considered as the professional practice and implementation of that knowledge
contributing principally to the design of engineered structures in and on the
ground.