We explain what geotechnics or geotechnical engineering is, its fields of study and history. Additionally, the work of geotechnical engineers.
What is geotechnics?
Geotechnics or geotechnical engineering is a branch of geology that studies the mechanical properties of materials from the geological environment used in the field of construction especially in civil engineering, that is, in the design and construction of works such as highways, bridges, dams, etc.
The perspective of geotechnics regarding the physical, mechanical, hydraulic properties, etc., of the soil, the environment and the materials used in construction is essential in the prevention of accidents and natural disasters.
Their specific fields of study are:
- Geological engineering. That is, the inventiveness of the human being applied to the interaction with the geological environment where he lives.
- Rock mechanics Whose interest is the behavior of stones and rock masses, as well as their theoretical and applied description.
- The study of soils To understand your reaction to stress, tension and other physical-chemical conditions, depending on your particular nature.
- Soil mechanics Similar to the previous one, but dedicated to the application of the laws of physics and other natural sciences to the study of the forces acting in the surface layer of the Earth.
Individuals dedicated to the study and application of geotechnics are called geotechnical engineers, and they specialize not only in fundamental principles of hydraulics, mechanics and geophysics, but also in geology and the natural processes of creation and deposition of rocks, as well as their classification, their morphological processes, etc.
The founder of geotechnics was the American engineer Karl von Terzaghi (1883-1963), also father of soil mechanics, with his famous book Erdbaumechanik auf bodenphysikalischer grundlage of 1935.
His work allowed specialists such as the American Ralph B. Peck (1912-2008), the Iranian Gholamreza Mesri (1940-) and the Austrian Arthur Casagrande (1902-1981) to develop and establish the foundations of geotechnical engineering, distinguishing it for the first time from other adjacent areas of knowledge.
But being one of the youngest branches of geology, geotechnics continues to actively evolve and reconsider, so it can often also be considered formally as a branch of civil engineering.
Continue with: Physical geography
References
- “Geotechnical engineering” on Wikipedia.
- “GEOTECHNICS What is it? – definition – what it is for” (video) in Geotecnia ONLINE.
- “What is geotechnics?” in Geology, branches and applications.
- “Geotechnics” in Construction. Architecture, Engineering and Construction Metaportal.
- “What is geotechnics?” in Mexican Geological Survey.
