Who is Karl Terzaghi? What are his significant contributions to Geotechnical Engineering?

Add a short
autobiography and relate his works.

Karl Terzaghi
Born: October 2, 1883 in Prague
Died: October 25, 1963 in Winchester, Massachusetts
He was married to Ruth D. Terzaghi, a geologist.
He won the Norman Medal of ASCE four times (1930, 1943, 1946, and 1955).
He was given nine honorary doctorate degrees from universities in eight different countries.
He started modern soil mechanics with his theories of consolidation, lateral earth pressures, bearing capacity,
and stability.
Karl Terzaghi (1883-1963) was the first to elaborate a comprehensive mechanics of soils with his publication
of Erdbaumechanik in 1925. His recognition and formulation of the effective stress principle and its influence
on settlement analysis, strength, permeability and erosion of soils was his most prodigious contribution. But
Terzaghi also pioneered a great range of methods and procedures for investigation, analysis, testing,
instrumentation, and practice that defined much of the field we currently known as geotechnical engineering.
As a professor at Robert College in Turkey, Karl Terzaghi investigated a variety of soil problems and
proposed the term Erdbaumechanik (soil mechanics) in 1925. For this and subsequent contributions
Terzaghi is considered the father of modern soil mechanics.
Terzaghis innovative concepts derive in part from his educational background in both mechanical
engineering and geology. His classical and widely used theory to explain the time-rate of consolidation of
saturated soils is an adaptation of heat flow theory of thermodynamics. Terzaghi also proposed a theory for
friction in soils that is used in mechanical engineering for friction in bearings.
An important part of Terzaghis work was to verify his theories experimentally. He devised and constructed
the first consolidometer, a device that now is commonplace in soil mechanics laboratories.
Again, utilizing his background in mechanical engineering, Terzaghi proposed a widely used theory for
foundation bearing capacity that is an adaptation of Prandtls theory for a metal punch. He then reduced
complicated mathematical relationships to a form that is readily understood and used by engineers. The
relation between a diversified background and creativity is the topic of a book by Arthur Koestler (1964), who
defined it as a juxtaposition of conflicting matrices.
Terzaghi also conducted full-scale studies of pressures on retaining walls in order to test the Coulomb and
Rankine theories, and dared to suggest that they might be oversimplified by ignoring an influence from soil
arching.
list of his major publications.
Terzaghi, K., 1925, Erdbaumechanik, Franz Deuticke, Vienna
This is where he presented to the world the new science, Soil Mechanics, that he developed mainly while
working at ITU and Bogazici University (then known as Robert College) in Istanbul (then known by some as
Constantinople). We have a picture of that campus The birth place of Soil Mechanics People who see this
photo say "if you worked there you were bound to invent something." The exact birth place is at the top of the
hill, in that photo, just above the left tower of the castle-- the castle, by the way, was built by Fatih in 1453. It
may be worthwhile to record here that KvT has done his consolidation tests the first in history in cigarette
boxes for the benefit of the younger generations who may not know what a cigarette box is, here is the
background information about cigarette boxes.
Terzaghi, K., 1934, "Large Retaining Wall Tests," Engineering News Record Feb.1, March 8, April 19 This is
where he presents his experimental side. He invented very ingenious tools for measurement of forces and
displacements. He apparently designed, constructed, and performed all his tests himself.
Terzaghi, K., 1943, Theoretical Soil Mechanics, John Wiley and Sons, New York
In this monumental work he lays it all out: consolidation theory, settlement calculations, bearing capacity
theory, lateral earth pressures and retaining walls, shear strength and slope stability. In all cases he makes it
clear that he is doing all that to be able to solve real world problems. He always gives design/analysis charts
to make it easier for the engineer to apply the theories he developed or reorganized and perfected for practical
use.
Terzaghi, K., and Ralph B. Peck, 1948, Soil Mechanics in Engineering Practice, John Wiley and Sons, New
York
The second edition by Ralph B. Peck, 1967
The third edition by Ralph B. Peck and Gholamreza Mesri, 1996

What types of natural soils are best suited for testing in a consolidometer? Why? Which are not well suited?
Why?
Sand, because its void ratio is less. It can surpass impurities and water easily. Such type of natural soil is well-
blended with aggregates in order to form bulk for various other experiments and tests.

Explain the difference between normally consolidated soil and over consolidated soils? Give examples of
geologic conditions that would form each type.
Normally consolidated soil
- This type of soil is the one which experience the maximum past vertical effective stress.
- In the normally consolidated type of soil the process involves reduction in the volume which happens
by expulsion of water observed under long term static loads.
Over consolidated soil
- This is the type of soil in which soil is consolidated to a large pressure and subsequently unloaded
later.
- In over consolidated soil the load is removed and later said to be over consolidated.