Sponsored by the Geo-Institute of ASCE

This Geotechnical Special Publication (GSP 118) contains 78 historical papers that provide a wide view of the rich body of literature that documents the development of fundamental concepts geotechnical engineering and their application to practical problems. From the highly theoretical to the elegantly practical, the papers in this one-of-a-kind collection are significant for their contributions to the geotechnical engineering literature. Among the writings of more than 60 geotechnical engineering pioneers are several by Karl Terzaghi, widely known as the father of soil mechanics, R.R. Proctor, Arthur Casagrande, and Ralph Peck.Many of these papers contain information as useful today as when they were first written. Others provide great insight into the origins and development of the field and the thought processes of its leaders.