The excavation of utility trenches and their safe construction belong to the field of geotechnology. In geotechnology, the soil (or rock) forms the subsoil and serves as construction material. It can also act as a load or form the load-bearing and stabilising material. In other words, geotechnology deals with the requirements that have to be given in order to use the soil (or rock) in the form of stable and functional civil engineering structures [Schmi96].

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Scientific disciplines of geotechnology according to [Floss00] [Source: STEIN Ingenieure GmbH]

Floss00

Floss, R., Gudehus, G., Katzenbach, R.: Zur Position der Geotechnik als zentraler Disziplin des Bauingenieurwesens. Geotechnik 23 (2000), H. 1, S. 12 15.

Source: STEIN Ingenieure GmbH

Image and rendering credits Prof. Dr. Ing. Stein & Partner GmbH, Germany.

Schmi96

Schmidt, H. H.: Grundlagen der Geotechnik. Bodenmechanik-Grundbau-Erdbau. B. G. Teuber, Stuttgart 1996.