Soil Mechanics

About the Department

Established in 1950 the MSc course cluster in Soil Mechanics remains the flagship of its subject. The staff profile, present and Emeritus (including four Rankine Lecturers), and first-class facilities make the course internationally renowned. Alumni from the course hold senior positions around the world and their work and engagement in the profession ensure the high reputation of these qualifications from Imperial College. Our close links with the Imperial College Engineering Geology, Environmental Engineering, Rock Mechanics, and Hydrology Sections ensure that our MSc students are exposed to the latest developments in all aspects of Geotechnics.

Aims and Objective

Concerned with the application of soil mechanics in engineering practice; and known for making key advances in soil mechanics such as field instrumentation, residual strength measurements, local strain measurement of soil samples, direct soil suction measurements, advanced numerical modeling procedures, constitutive models, and hollow cylinder soil testing techniques. We also strive to give our MSc students a broad knowledge of practical engineering, understanding the realities of the physical world as well as elegant theories.

The course is designed to provide students with a solid technical basis in the key areas of geotechnics through a coherent, coordinated, and balanced degree program, integrating core engineering science and recent research findings with practical application.