2005 Terzaghi Lecture

In March 2001, J-P. Giroud was invited to give the 2005 Terzaghi Lecture organized every other year by the Technical University of Vienna, Austria. It is an exceptional honor, as it is one of the most prestigious lectures in the field of geotechnical engineering. In 2000, the geotechnical engineering community celebrated the 75th anniversary of the birth of geotechnical engineering (marked by the publication of the first book by Terzaghi in 1925). The celebration included the publication of a Jubilee Volume edited by Professor Brandl of the Technical University of Vienna. Three Past-Presidents of the IGS wrote chapters in this Jubilee Volume, R.J. Bathurst, R.K. Rowe, and J.P. Giroud. The 2005 Terzaghi Lecture will be presented at the opening of the Austrian Geotechnical Conference. This conference typically attracts 300-400 participants from about 20 countries. It will take place in Vienna on 21-22 February 2005. Details can be obtained soon from geosynthetica. The 2005 Terzaghi Lecture will take place on the opening day of the conference (21 February 2005). The title of the lecture will be: “Geosynthetics engineering: successes, failures and lessons learned”. The tentative synopsis is: First, Karl Terzaghi at Mission Dam (now called Terzaghi Dam), his first experience with a “geosynthetic”: a failure and a success. Then, failures and lessons learned. Examples selected to be of interest to large audience and to show the degree of sophistication in geosynthetics engineering. Tentatively: geomembrane cracking pattern, triumph of rational analysis; effect of differential settlement on geosynthetics and the concept of co-energy, original application of mechanics; influence of water on stability of geosynthetics systems, the defeat of common sense. Then, successes and lessons learned. Examples selected to be of interest to large audience. Tentatively: some applications of geosynthetics in dams, the durability of geosynthetics may be better than the durability of traditional materials; geotextile filters, a design success for geosynthetics engineering that could lead to technology transfer toward geotechnical engineering. This will end the lecture on a “terzaghian” note.