Rankine Lecture

The Rankine Lecture is widely viewed as the most prestigious of the invited lectures in geotechnics.

It commemorates WJM Rankine, Professor of Civil Engineering at Glasgow University, who was one of the first engineers in the UK to make a significant contribution to soil mechanics.  He is best known for his theory for the earth pressure on retaining walls.

The Rankine Lecture is held in March each year.  In even-numbered years, the lecturer is from the UK.  In odd-numbered years, the lecturer is from outside the UK.  Each lecture is usually published in Géotechnique.

List of Rankine Lectures

Professor Scott Sloan will present the 2011 Rankine Lecture.

2000-2010

2010 Prof CRI Clayton Stiffness at small strain - research & practice
2009 Prof T O'Rourke Geohazards & large geographically distributed systems
2008 Dr A Charles The engineering behaviour of fill - the use, misuse and disuse of case histories
2007 Prof A Gens Soil-environment interactions in geotechnical engineering
2006 Prof RJ Mair Tunnelling and geotechnics - new horizons
2005 Prof RK Rowe Long term performance of contaminant barrier systems
2004 Prof NN Ambraseys Engineering, seismology and soil mechanics
2003 Prof MF Randolph Science and empiricism in pile foundation design
2002 Prof DM Potts Numerical analysis: a virtual dream or practical reality?
2001 Prof H Brandl Energy foundations and other thermo-active ground structures
2000 Prof JH Atkinson Non-linear soil stiffness in routine design


1990-1999
Most of these papers can be found in ICE's Virtual Library

1999 Prof S Leroueil Natural slopes and custs: movement and failure mechanisms
1998 Dr DW Hight Soil characterisation: the importance of structure and anisotropy
1997 Prof GE Blight Interactions between the atmosphere and the Earth
1996 Prof SF Brown Soil mechanics in pavement engineering
1995 Prof RE Goodman Block theory and its application
1994 Prof PR Vaughan Assumption, prediction and reality in geotechnical engineering
1993 Prof K Ishihara Liquefaciton and flow failure during earthquakes
1992 Dr B Simpson Retaining structures: displacement and design
1991 Prof JK Mitchell Conduction phenomena: from theory to geotechnical practice
1990 Prof JB Burland On the compressibility and shear strength of natural clays

1980-1989
Most of these papers can be found in ICE's Virtual Library

1989 Prof HG Poulos Pile behaviour - theory and application
1988 Prof HB Sutherland Uplift resistance in soils
1987 Prof RF Scott Failure
1986 Dr ADM Penman On the embankment dam
1985 Prof N Janbu Soil models in offshore engineering
1984 Prof CP Wroth The interpretation of in situ soil tests
1983 E Hoek Strength of jointed rock masses
1982 Dr DJ Henkel Geology, geomorphology and geotechnics
1981 Prof NR Morgenstern Geotechnical engineering and frontier resource development
1980 Prof AN Schofield Cambridge geotechnical centrifuge operations

1970-1979
Most of these papers can be found in ICE's Virtual Library

1979 Prof H Bolton Seed Consierations in the earthquake-resistant design of earth and rockfill dams
1978 Dr WH Ward Ground supports for tunnels in weak rocks
1977 VFB de Mello Reflections on design decisions of practical significance to embankment dams
1976 Dr AC Meigh The Triassic rocks, with particular reference to predicted and observed performance of some major foundations
1975 Prof J Kerisel Old structures in relation to soil conditions
1974 Prof RE Gibson The analytical method in soil mechanics
1973 Prof TW Lambe Predictions in soil engineering
1972 Prof PW Rowe The relevance of soil fabric to site investigation practice
1971 Prof JC Jaeger Friction of rocks and stability of rock slopes
1970 Prof KH Roscoe The influence of strains in soil mechanics

1961-1969
Most of these papers can be found in ICE's Virutal Library

1969 Prof RB Peck Advantages and limitations of the observational method in applied soil mechanics
1968 R Glossop The rise of geotechnology and its influence on engineering practice
1967 Dr L Bjerrum Engineering geology of Norwegian normally-consolidated marine clays as related to settlements of buildings
1966 Prof AW Bishop The strength of soils as engineering materials
1965 Prof NM Newmark Effects of earthquakes on dams and embankments
1964 Prof AW Skempton Long-term stability of clay slopes
1963 A Mayer Recent work in rock mechanics
1962 Dr LF Cooling Field measurements in soil mechanics
1961 Prof A Casagrande Control of seepage through foundations and abutments of dams