Elements of soil mechanics

In the field of civil engineering, nearly all projects are built on to, or into, the ground. Whether the project is a structure, a roadway, a tunnel, or a bridge, the nature of the soil at that location is of great importance to the civil engineer. Geotechnical engineering is the term given to the branch of engineering that is concerned with aspects pertaining to the ground. Soil mechanics is the subject within this branch that looks at the behaviour of soils in civil engineering.