civil engineering
“There are no beautiful surfaces without a terrible depth.”
― Friedrich Nietzsche Soil mechanics is one of the new disciplines of civil engineering, concerning the study of soil. It gathers data and provides the theoretical base for analysis in geotechnical engineering. In earlier times, constructions were built based on assumptions. After some important foundation-related engineering problems, example of the Leaning Tower of Pisa, engineers, builders and researchers shifted more scientific methods that study subsurface. Modern geotechnical engineering begins with Karl Von Terzaghi; he can also be counted as a father of modern soil mechanics. Following name for modern geotechnical engineering is Arthur Casagrande. They were both Austria born, educated in Europe, and moved to the United States early in their careers, where they involved in their international and history-making work. Arthur Casagrande was born in August 28, 1902, in Haidenschaft, Austria. He first encountered with technical knowledge after he attended Realschule. Then he graduated from the Technische Hochschule in Vienna where he got his civil engineering diploma and assisted to Professor Schaffernak in the Hydraulics Laboratory. He lost his father in the same year. In those years, between 1914-1918 World War 1 occurred, as it affected many people in different ways, it also affected to Casagrande. The dual monarchy, Austrian-Hungarian Empire dissolved on 31 October 1918 as a result of World War 1. This would be a main reason for him to move United States because there was low possibility to work as a civil engineer and research in his field. By the way his father’s death in 1942 had affected his entire family’s
― Friedrich Nietzsche Soil mechanics is one of the new disciplines of civil engineering, concerning the study of soil. It gathers data and provides the theoretical base for analysis in geotechnical engineering. In earlier times, constructions were built based on assumptions. After some important foundation-related engineering problems, example of the Leaning Tower of Pisa, engineers, builders and researchers shifted more scientific methods that study subsurface. Modern geotechnical engineering begins with Karl Von Terzaghi; he can also be counted as a father of modern soil mechanics. Following name for modern geotechnical engineering is Arthur Casagrande. They were both Austria born, educated in Europe, and moved to the United States early in their careers, where they involved in their international and history-making work. Arthur Casagrande was born in August 28, 1902, in Haidenschaft, Austria. He first encountered with technical knowledge after he attended Realschule. Then he graduated from the Technische Hochschule in Vienna where he got his civil engineering diploma and assisted to Professor Schaffernak in the Hydraulics Laboratory. He lost his father in the same year. In those years, between 1914-1918 World War 1 occurred, as it affected many people in different ways, it also affected to Casagrande. The dual monarchy, Austrian-Hungarian Empire dissolved on 31 October 1918 as a result of World War 1. This would be a main reason for him to move United States because there was low possibility to work as a civil engineer and research in his field. By the way his father’s death in 1942 had affected his entire family’s
Citations: RICHARD G.WEINGARDT,P.E.,HON. M.ASCE -Engineering Legends – ASCE JOURNALS ( Leadership Manage. Eng. 2006.6:44-48.) "Arthur Casagrande". The Electronic Journal of Geotechnical Engineering. Retrieved 2010-02-14 www.nytimes.com/1981/09/11/obituaries/arthur-casagrande-teacher-and-innovator-in-dam-design.html