Engineering of Problematic Soils Volume 1. Dealing with Risks Associated with Engineering Soils - Barry G. Clarke

A practical guide to identifying, understanding, and mitigating the risks of soils that defy classic theory, Engineering of Problematic Soils links geological, environmental, and human processes to real-world construction challenges, offering unique solutions and case studies for geotechnical practice.

Geotechnical engineering rarely deals with ideal soils. As the book states, “problematic soils do not conform to the ideal soil used in classical soil mechanics theories,” and their behaviour demands deeper geological understanding, advanced modelling, and rigorous investigation.



Engineering of Problematic Soils: Dealing with Risks Associated with Engineering Soils offers a clear, integrated guide to the formation, properties and engineering behaviour of soils across all environments—fluvial, glacial, tropical, organic, expansive, collapsible and anthropogenic. It explains how composition, fabric, structure and pore fluid chemistry shape soil response, and why many real soils violate classical assumptions.



Chapters examine the challenges posed by heterogeneity, metastability, partial saturation, time dependent behaviour and environmental change. Climate impacts, human activity and construction effects are shown to alter stresses, groundwater and soil properties, often triggering geotechnical hazards.



Emphasising that “the greatest risk is associated with the ground investigation and ground modelling,” the book sets out a strategic, risk based approach to characterising the ground and designing safe, resilient infrastructure in complex and changing conditions.