by J. C. Meem
About this book
Pressure, Resistance, and Stability of Earth by J. C. Meem delivers a compelling, early-20th-century study into how soils behave under load and what keeps earthworks and foundations standing. This authoritative 1910 ASCE paper blends systematic sand-box experiments with practical formulas to examine earth pressures, arching effects, resistance to failure, and the stability of piling and foundations — including the buoyancy and pressure issues that affect subaqueous structures in soft ground.
Meem revisits and expands upon earlier trench- and tunnel-bracing observations, scaling experiments to demonstrate sand arching and measuring lateral pressures with careful detail. The narrative mixes experimental data, engineering deduction, and applied guidance for foundation design, offering a snapshot of soil mechanics before the modern geotechnical era. Readers encounter methodical approaches to estimating earth loads and evaluating how soil behavior influences structural safety and settlement.
Ideal for civil and geotechnical engineers, structural designers, engineering students, and historians of technology, this non-fiction essay provides practical insight and historical perspective on foundation engineering. Listen to understand foundational principles, early empirical techniques, and durable lessons for designing in challenging ground conditions.
