Lessons (Re)learned from Geotechnical Failures

Despite the advances in knowledge in geotechnical engineering over the last decades, failures during construction of structures still occur. This paper describes four such failures related to excavation support, and discusses their causes, from both technical and non-technical standpoints. The failures described include both limit and serviceability state failures. One can expand the notion of redundancy to include non-technical issues and it is in this context that the failures are discussed. The case histories show that if redundancy had been properly employed during design and construction, the failures probably would not have occurred.