In situ testing in geomecintuition that professionals often tend to rely on experience
rather than knowledge, on empiricism rather than theory. Although I fully
recognize that engineering judgement and experience are key factors for safe and economical geotechnical design, there is a growing awareness that current design practice has evolved from early experimental approaches into a sophisticated subject arehanics has been a familiar subject for engineers for about half a century. Some basic concepts and ideas in this field are so firmly rooted in intuition that professionals often tend to rely on experience rather than knowledge, on empiricism rather than theory. Although I fully recognize that engineering judgement and experience are key factors for safe and economical geotechnintuition that professionals often tend to rely on experience rather than knowledge, on empiricism rather than theory. Although I fully recognize that engineering judgement and experience are key factors for safe and economical geotechnical design, there is a growing awareness that current design practice has evolved from early experimental approaches into a sophisticated subject areical design, there is a growing awareness that current design practice has evolved from early experimental approaches into a sophisticated subject area demanding a thorough knowledge of material behaviour and numerical modelling. My own assessment is that our analytical and numerical knowledge has now reached a state of maturity where it is possible to give a reasonably coherent and logical account of the theory associated with the mechanical behaviour of soils and soil testing. If developments in the field of in situ test investigation have been for decades the subject matter of theoretical research and technological innintuition that professionals often tend to rely on experience rather than knowledge, on empiricism rather than theory. Although I fully recognize that engineering judgement and experience are key factors for safe and economical geotechnical design, there is a growing awareness that current design practice has evolved from early experimental approaches into a sophisticated subject areovation, today the results of those developments have established themselves as standard textbook subjects, presented to senior students in most engineering schools. Surprisingly enough, a comprehensive review compiling the technical information and theoretical background necessary to equip professionals to employ sound engineering judgement when selecting appropriate tools for the geo-characterization of natural soils has not yet appeared in a single textbook form.