Geotechnical engineering

Dr. Terzaghi stated 'the value of engineering Science is determined by what it can accomplish as a tool in the hands of the practising engineers.' Like any other science, the gap between research achievements and current practice in Geotechnical Engineering is a reality and this differs from country to country, perhaps due to the fact that the Science is concerned with geo-materials, product of climatic, geologic and other natural forces. But irrespective of these variations, the use of computers and related developments in numerical methods and application of statistical and probabilistic approaches have influenced the practices in geotechnical engineering considerably. Similarly the use of new materials along with natural materials, construction of off-shore structures, new experiences with old practices, in dam design containment problems with toxic effluents, examining or re-examining causes of failures, have necessarily brought change in study outlook and design approaches of geotechnical engineering.