Geotechnical engineering

Geotechnical engineering is a crucial part of all disciplines within hydraulic engineering. When designing coastal infrastructure or assessing soil-related risks, an expert knowledge and understanding of the physical properties of the subsoil under different hydraulic conditions is essential.

Ever since 1934 Deltares is one of the world’s leading institutes on soil behaviour, construction with, in and on soil and the risk-assessment of geotechnical projects. Our geotechnical expertise covers the following aspects of hydraulic engineering:

• slope stability and deformation (breakwaters, enbankments)
• settlement and compaction (land reclamation, forced consolidation)
• liquefaction (static, cyclic and earthquake loading)
• filter stability
• design of geotubes and geotextilesbearing
• capacity of foundation elements
• geohydrological processes (groundwater flow)
• geotechnical monitoring (deformation and stress)
• soil parameter definition (CPT’s, borings, relative density, triaxial testing)

Deltares develops and employs a number of unique experimental and physical model facilities. Apart from specialised geotechnical tests, large scale test facilities as well as our 300g GeoCentrifuge (one of the most powerful and versatile in the world) can simulate all types of soil mechanical and (solute) transport behaviour.

Calculation of stresses beneath caisson breakwater