A Study of Aspects of the Historical Development of Geotechnical Engineering-Video

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The presentation argues that geotechnical engineering history has been studied less systematically than the technical field, despite its potential to improve practice, standards of care, and public safety. The presenters developed a two-part approach: reviews of historically significant books and papers, plus a citation database containing nearly 1,200 works and 30 citing sources. Their findings highlight the early debate between theoretical and practical approaches, later reconciled through semi-empirical methods and observational design. The database also quantifies Terzaghi’s exceptional influence: he authored or co-authored nearly a third of the most-cited works in the sample. The presenters plan to expand their reviews and database, include non-English sources, and invite wider participation from professionals, universities, and industry organizations. In discussion, they noted that university libraries and interested students or academics could contribute literature and research, while their website serves as a channel for sharing findings.

Keywords

geotechnical engineering history

citation database

Terzaghi influence

semi-empirical methods

observational design