Soil mechanics originated several decades ago under the pressure of necessity. As the practical problems involving soils broadened in scope, the inadequacy of the scientific tools available for coping with them be• came increasingly apparent. Efforts to remedy the situation started almost simultaneously in the United States and in Europe, and within a short period they produced an impressive array of useful information.
The initial successes in this field of applied science were so encouraging that a new branch of structural analysis appeared to be in the making. As a consequence, the extent and profundity of the theoretical investi• gations increased rapidly, and experimental methods were developed to a high degree of refinement. Without the results of these painstaking investigations a rational approach to the problems of earthwork engineer• ing could not have been attempted.
• Unfortunately, the research activities in soil mechanics had one undesirable psychological effect. They diverted the attention of many investigators and teachers from the manifold limitations imposed by nature on the application of mathematics to problems in earthwork engineering. As a consequence, more and more emphasis has been placed on refinements in sampling and testing and on those very few problems that can be solved with accuracy. Yet; accurate solutions can be obtained only if the soil strata are practically homogenous and continuous in horizontal directions. Furthermore, since the investigations leading to accurate solutions involve highly specialized methods of sampling and testing, they are justified only in exceptional cases. On the overwhelming majority of jobs no more than an approximate forecast is needed, and if such a forecast cannot be made by simple means it cannot be made at all. If it is not possible to make an approximate forecast, the behavior of the soil must be observed during construction, and the design may subsequently have to be modified in accordance with the findings. These facts cannot be ignored without defying the purpose of soil mechanics. They govern the treatment of the subject in this book.

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