ABSTRACT
Geotechnical engineering is a branch of civil engineering in which technology is applied to the design and construction of structures involving geological materials. Earth’s surface material consists of soil and rock. Of the several branches of geotechnical engineering, soil and rock mechanics are the fundamental studies of the properties and mechanics of soil and rock, respectively. Foundation engineering is the application of the principles of soil mechanics, rock mechanics, and structural engineering to the design of structures associated with earthen materials. On the other hand, rock engineering is the corresponding application of the above technologies to the design of structures associated with rock. It is generally observed that most foundation types supported by intact bedrock present no compressibility problems. Therefore, when designing common foundation types, the foundation engineer’s primary concerns are the strength and compressibility of the subsurface soil and whenever applicable, the strength of bedrock.
