From practice to theory in geotechnical engineering

摘要

Teaching geotechnical engineering started with experience in building theories of soil behavior. As theories were tested in the field and better instruments became available for the measurement of soil properties both in the laboratory and the field, the wealth of knowledge increased. Theory benefited practice and practice perfected theory. However, teaching soil mechanics has not deviated much from learning theories with the fresh engineer left to relearn the practical aspects over the years. This has produced a wealth of experience that has not been fed back to training the next generation of engineers. This paper calls practicing engineers to invest in teaching the next generation of geotechnical engineers.