Chapter 3: A brief history of the development of geotechnical engineering

This chapter traces the development of the craft and science of geotechnical engineering from early history to the recent past. The story is told of how Terzaghi struggled to couple engineering geology with the science of soil mechanics so as to provide the necessary rigour for modern geotechnical modelling and analysis. These lessons from the past are very important and a major aim of this manual is to provide the framework and knowledge necessary for sound geotechnical design and construction.