Geotechnical Engineering

Overview: Geotechnical engineers use engineering principles to analyze and design systems that incorporate soil or rock. Such systems include: building and bridge foundations, earth embankments, dams and levees, retaining walls, drainage systems, earthquake motion, and buried structures and pipelines. An important part of all geotechnical engineering projects is characterizing the geology and subsurface conditions in order to define the engineering properties used in analysis and design. Site investigation often consist of exploratory borings and probes, geophysical measurements, and laboratory testing.