GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING HANDBOOK

Abstract

The record of the first use of soil as a construction material is lost in antiquity. For years, the art of soil engineering was based only on past experience. With the growth of science and technology, the need for better and more economical structural design and construction became critical. This led to a detailed study of the nature and properties of soil as it relates to engineering during the early part of the 20th century. The publication of Erdbaumechanik by Karl Terzaghi in 1926 gave birth to modern soil mechanics. The term geotechnical engineering is defined as the science and practice of that part of civil engineering which involves natural materials found close to the surface of the earth. In a general sense it includes the application of the fundamental principles of soil mechanics and rock mechanics to foundation design problems.