In engineering, there are many branches. One of them is the geotechnical study which mainly deals with the analyzing how Earth materials behave; mostly known as soil. Studying the earth material is usually under civil engineering, and therefore it connects geotech engineering and testing in it.

In this regard, geotechnical study skills and knowledge is applied in all disciplines of engineers such as mining, military, and construction just to mention a few. Geotechnical skills are thus very broad in practice and modern day use. In real life, many undertakings revolve around engineering activities that are done on the ground. In perspective, the laymans understanding may not directly translate a simple earthwork to engineering. Traditionally the activities were haphazardly done devoid of engineering skills and knowledge. As a practice, it began gaining momentum at the start of the eighteenth century.

As a branch of engineering, it mostly deals with the analyzing of the quality of the soil. The soil has many elements in it, and the nature of these elements change from time to time, due to the natural occurrences and human activities. Because of this, you will realize that how the components appear today, are not the same as they were some few years back, and they still keep changing. On this note, these properties of soil have to be studied so that their suitability is determined, depending on what it is needed for at the time. You should not use results that were found before in an activity that is in the present.

By scientifically investigating the surface materials, geotechnical experts can determine the chemical and non-chemical properties of the soil beneath. They are also able to evaluate the stability of the soil as influenced by both natural and human activities. They also conduct a risk assessment as would be caused by construction site preparations, earthworks as well as mining and water drilling. They can determine the suitability of a surface for any earthworks that would interfere with the nature the surface.

The process of determining the engineering properties of the soil are done in steps. The steps will first begin by what you know and then progress to the unknown factors. The activity is thus handled as if it is a project. While following the steps, guidelines regarding the qualities are used to confirm that the soil is suitable for construction.

The project is usually broken down into other smaller projects and carried out one at a time before the conclusion is reached. The first step is usually to visit the site and get the whole view of the area as it has been influenced by its surroundings. The main aim is usually to check the risk to humans that can be brought about by the human forces or natural forces so that they make the correct recommendation of the site.

When the geotechnical procedure is carried out correctly, it will be easy to reduce some natural disasters like the earthquakes and mass wasting. When the geotechnical engineer has determined the soil properties, they will be able to prescribe the suitable foundations for the site. The results from the soil survey can also help determine the changes of the initial construction designs.

As a discipline, geotechnical study is wide. It also interrelates with other disciplines such as history and geology. This is because humans use soil for many purposes, and the use affects the properties it has at any given time.