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The emphasis in geotechnical engineering has always been on achieving appropriate solutions to specific problems and projects using a number of steps such as site investigation, soil and rock testing, modeling, empirical methods, mathematical analysis, field measurements, observation (monitoring) and design. Depending on the type and importance of the project and the availability of resources, some or all of these elements may be considered essential. In the past , there was a tendency, in some applications, to leave everything to the construction company. For example, reviewing the historical practice with regard to deep foundations, Poulos (2003) has observed that until the latter half of the 20th century, the foundation contractor controlled many aspects ranging from investigation and design to construction and remediation. However, he points out that the situation now is very different with analysis, design and construction being handled by independent specialists. This has obvious advantages, yet the disadvantages of fragmentation should not be overlooked and these might include ambiguity and conflict in technical areas as well as challenges in communication. One could safely generalize and say that these disadvantages can apply to all areas of geotechnical engineering unless there is good teamwork on projects. The more complex a geotechnical problem, the greater the care required in each of the steps and elements mentioned above and the more sophisticated the method of analysis that would be used today. Yet one must remember that much of the success achieved by geotechnical engineers in developing good methods of analysis and understanding performance was due to the significant initial progress in theoretical concepts (e. g. Terzaghi, 1943). This progress was highlighted by the discovery of the principle of effective stress for saturated soil masses leading to a better understanding of shear strength concepts and the key role of permeability of soil masses. These concepts led to a gradual appreciation of the role of excess pore water pressures generated during loading and unloading and of the differences in behavior between saturated and unsaturated soils Theories of elasticity and plasticity and the concept of limit equilibrium proved to be very useful during the early decades of development of geotechnical engineering. Thus there was a sound
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