ABSTRACT
Soil mechanics may be defined as the study of the engineering behaviour of soils, with reference to the design of civil engineering structures made from or in the earth. Examples of these structures include embankments and cuttings, dams, earth retaining walls, tunnels, basements, sub-surface waste repositories, and the foundations of buildings and bridges. An embankment, cutting or retaining wall often represents a major component, if not the whole, of a civil engineering structure, and is usually (for better or for worse) clearly visible in its finished form (Figure 1.1). Tunnels and basements are generally only visible from inside the structure, while foundations and underground waste repositories-once completed-are not usually visible at all. By definition, foundations form only a part of the structure which they support. Although out of sight, the foundation is nonetheless important: if it is deficient in its design or construction, the entire building may be at risk (Figure 1.2).
