Some basic aspects of theory and tradition in soil mechanics teaching are examined and shownrnto be deficient. The first is the absence of material on residual soils despite the fact that at least half the world’srnsurface consists of residual soils. The second aspect is the continued use of the e-log(p) plot for representingrnsoil compressibility. This plot leads to routine misinterpretation of the compressibility of both sedimentary andrnresidual soils. The third aspect is the water table and the seepage state above and below it. The water table isrnnot a boundary below which seepage occurs and above which there is no seepage or pore pressure. The fourthrnaspect is the critical height of vertical cuts in clay. Equations for critical height are presented as though they canrnbe used in practice. This is quite wrong, and a serious matter involving life and death.
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