What is Geotechnical Engineering?

The International Society of Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering (ISSMGE) has provided the following video overview of geotechnical engineering and the profession's main fields of practice: 

 

 

And a word of Dr. Burland at Imperial College: 

 

 
Geotechnical Engineering, perhaps more than any other field of engineering, is more of an art of judgment than a science of computation, mainly due to the complexity and variability of the geo-materials that make each project unique. The following videos featuring Dr. Ralph B. Peck and Dr. Norbert R. Morgenstern (Professor Emeritus, University of Alberta) on engineering judgment in geotechnical engineering as well as on the human aspects, personality, and life of the great leaders in this field are noteworthy:
 

Engineering Judgment - Part 1

 

Engineering Judgment - Part 2

 

Engineering Judgment - Part 3

 

Engineering Judgment - Part 4

 

The Effect of Water on Soil Strength (By Dr. Burland):

 

The Effect of Gravity on Soil Strength (By Dr. Burland):

 

The Effect of Particle Size and Shape on Soil Strength (By Dr. Burland):

 

"No amount of optimism by the engineer on behalf of his client will have any impact on the great forces of the nature"  
~ Sir Alec Westley Skempton

"Without (geotechnical) site investigation ground is a hazard"
~ Littlejohn G.S. , Cole K.W. and Mellor T.W. (Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers - Volume 102 Issue 2, MAY 1994, pp. 72-78)

 

Please refer to our Geotechnical Engineering Services for more information on our geotechnical consulting, soil compaction testing, and and other geotechnical construction quality control inspection and materials testing services. From time to time, Alpha Adroit also provide free internship-practicum programs for new graduates and internationally educated geotechnical engineers requiring exposure to Canadian work environment.

Alpha Adroit Engineering Ltd  provides geotechnical engineering services throughout Alberta, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Nunavut, Northwest Territories, and Yukon in Canada. Alpha Adroit offers services to international locations (particularly the Middle East) through its headquarters and advanced laboratories in Edmonton, Alberta. Projects in Alaska, Iceland, Greenland, Yukon, Nunavut, Northwest Territories, Ontario, Manitoba, Newfoundland, and Labrador would be considered based on the project's merits and Alpha Adroit's unique advantages.

Call us Toll Free: 1-844-4-ADROIT  (1-844-4-237648) or contact us here