GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING
What is geotechnical engineering?
Geotechnical engineering involves working and analyzing the mechanics and behaviors of soil and rock, its applications and also analyzing how the design and construction of different types of structures interact with these materials. This type of engineers is involved in almost every project because almost every structure relies on soil for support. Some structures that they may be working on are dams, highways, tunnels, bridges, and landfills.
What do geotechnical engineers do?
Geotechnical engineers are usually more engaged in the initial phase of a project. They usually do site investigations, provide reports of the soil being worked on, provide geotechnical analysis in order to evaluate different factors such as lateral earth pressures, settlement and groundwater flow, design different types of structures such as foundations and retaining walls, provide construction support and conduct field inspections
Women in geotechnical engineering
Earning a degree in civil engineering from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and being the only female earning this degree in 1968 we have Anna Burwash. After graduation she started her career in geotechnical engineering in Toronto, Canada. She worked at consulting firms and research studies in muskeg and permafrost. In 1980 she established her own management consulting firm. She was the first female board member of the CGS and the first female member of the NRCC. She also did distance education and earned a Professional Development Degree in Engineering from the University of Wisconsin in 1981. While also working in the geotechnical field, she also pursued a career in government.
Associations of Women in Geotechnical Engineering