Geotechnical Engineering Glossary
25 essential terms — because precise language is the foundation of clear thinking in Geotechnical Engineering.
Showing 25 of 25 terms
Moisture content boundaries that define the transitions between solid, semi-solid, plastic, and liquid states of fine-grained soil.
The maximum load per unit area that a soil can support without undergoing shear failure beneath a foundation.
The mechanical process of increasing soil density by reducing air voids through applied energy.
A continuous in-situ test measuring cone tip resistance and sleeve friction as an instrumented probe is pushed into the ground.
The gradual reduction in volume of saturated fine-grained soil due to drainage of pore water under sustained loading.
The portion of total stress transmitted through grain-to-grain contacts in soil, equal to total stress minus pore water pressure.
The ratio of available resisting forces (or strength) to driving forces (or applied stress), used to quantify the margin of stability in geotechnical design.
A graphical network of flow lines and equipotential lines used to solve two-dimensional steady-state seepage problems.
Synthetic polymeric materials (geotextiles, geogrids, geomembranes) used in geotechnical applications for reinforcement, filtration, drainage, and separation.
Engineering techniques used to enhance the mechanical properties of weak or problematic soils, including compaction, grouting, and reinforcement.
The horizontal stress exerted by soil on a retaining structure, classified as active, passive, or at-rest depending on wall movement.
The loss of strength and stiffness in loose, saturated granular soil during cyclic loading, causing it to behave as a viscous fluid.
A graphical representation of the state of stress at a point, showing normal and shear stresses on planes at all orientations. Used with the Mohr-Coulomb criterion to assess failure.
The ratio of the maximum past effective stress to the current effective stress, indicating the stress history of a clay deposit.
A measure of how easily water can flow through soil voids, quantified as hydraulic conductivity (k) in Darcy's law.
A deep foundation element that transfers structural loads to competent soil or rock at depth through end bearing and shaft friction.
The pressure of groundwater held within soil voids, which reduces effective stress and influences soil strength and stability.
A structure designed to resist lateral earth pressure and retain soil at different elevations on either side.
The movement of water through soil pores driven by hydraulic gradient, governed by Darcy's law.
The downward movement of a structure's foundation due to compression of underlying soil, comprising immediate, consolidation, and secondary compression components.
The maximum shear stress a soil can resist before failure, typically described by the Mohr-Coulomb criterion using cohesion and friction angle.
The analysis of the potential for soil or rock slopes to fail by sliding along a critical surface.
The systematic grouping of soils based on physical properties such as grain size, plasticity, and organic content using systems like USCS or AASHTO.
An in-situ test that measures soil resistance to penetration by counting hammer blows (N-value) to drive a sampler a standard distance.
The ratio of the volume of voids to the volume of solids in a soil mass, denoted as e. A key index property for characterizing soil state.