Civil Engineering Association

"Soil mechanics is a pioneer science which has grown rapidly during the last two decades. Its introduction into this country --- under this name, at least --- is generally accredited to Dr. Karl Terzaghi and is considered to have occurred in 1925. With each year since that date soil mechanics has become more widely known, the number of soil mechanics laboratories has increased, more colleges have offered courses in this new subject, and practical applications of this science have become more numerous. The amount of existing soil mechanics literature has increased rapidly but textbooks and handboks have been slow to appear, probably because of the extensive scope of the subject. Books of a number of types on this subject are needed, and it is of considerable importance to distinguish between the various types, which include the handbook for the practicing engineer, the manual for the laboratory technician, the textbooks for college courses of undergraduate level and graduate level, and the advanced textbook for the specialist. It is probable that no book can serve more than one or two of these fields to best advantage. This book is written as a textbook for use in graduate courses, but it is presented in such form that by the omission of certain portions it can be used in undergraduate courses. Practicing engineers and specialists in soil engineering may find the book of interest and value but, primarily, it is written for the student. The basic aim of the book is the presentation of fundamentals rather than the furnishing of final answers to practical problems; nevertheless, the book aims to develop the reader's appreciation for the practical significance of the various subjects considered. I wish to acknowledge and to express appreciation for the privilege of including in this book material that is the work of three of my predecessors on the Soil Mechanics staff of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. These three engineers,......" [from preface by D. W. T.]