The term geo means earth or soil. This means it has something to do with the earth. Geotechnical engineering is an area of civil engineering that focuses on the engineering behaviour of earthen materials; or Geotechnical engineering, also known as geotechnics, is a discipline within civil engineering that focuses on the behavior of natural geological materials in engineered systems. 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 engineers recognize that soil and rock are the cheapest and most abundant building materials on earth, and consequently play a major role in the construction and performance of every type of civil engineering structure.
Geotechnical engineering 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. 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.
As well as civil engineering, geotechnical engineering is also used in fields such as coastal engineering, offshore construction projects, mining, military and petroleum. While the fields of geotechnical engineering and engineering geology have overlapping areas of expertise, engineering geology is closely tied to geology while geotechnical engineering is aligned to civil engineering. Geotechnical engineers use their knowledge to determine the chemical, mechanical and physical properties of soil and rock for the design of earthworks, foundations and retaining structures. A site investigation of ground conditions is used to determine the depth of foundations, while earthworks may include embankments, channels, bunds and tunnels and retaining structures include retaining walls and earth-filled dams. Furthermore, if there are issues with the foundation, then the entire structure is in trouble. Therefore, geotechnical engineers play a critical role in every constructed project.
Until about the last 100 years geotechnical engineering was largely empirical and based on observation and careful reflection. Remarkable scientific advancement in this specialty within civil engineering has been achieved in the post-World War II era and continues today with the aid of high-performance computers, sensors, data visualization and advanced soil testing. Geotechnical engineering relies on the continuous application of engineering judgment. This judgment can be best developed by careful study of past successes and failures, and years of experience.
Every civil engineering structure and its construction is related to soil in some way, and subsequently, its design will depend on properties of the soil or rock. Geotechnical operations are of importance with respect to soil sampling, investigating geomaterial properties, controlling groundwater level and flow as well as environmental and hydrological interactions. Foundation engineering, excavations and supporting ground structures, underground structures, dams, natural or artificial fills, roads and airports, subgrades and ground structures, and slope stability assessments are examples of geotechnical engineering applications.
Despite notable progress in geotechnical engineering, many solutions are still approximate, which is mainly due to the non homogeneity of soils and dominant environmental conditions. Additionally, soils are more sensitive to local environmental conditions compared to other prefabricated building materials such as steel or concrete. Consequently, it would be necessary to have comprehensive understanding of natural soil deposits, environment interactions and response to local conditions to allow more accurate prediction of geomaterials engineering performance and behavior in projects.
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