The classic, comprehensive guide to the physics of soil The physical behavior of soil under different environmental conditions impacts public safety on every roadway and in every structure; a deep understanding of soil mechanics is therefore an essential component to any engineering education. Soil Mechanics offers in-depth information on the behavior of soil under wet, dry, or transiently wet conditions, with detailed explanations of stress, strain, shear, loading, permeability, flow, improvement, and more. Comprehensive in scope, this book provides accessible coverage of a critical topic, providing the background aspiring engineers will need throughout their careers. Thomas William Lambe was an American geotechnical engineer and an emeritus professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Lambe studied civil engineering at North Carolina State, receiving his bachelor's degree in 1942. He studied at MIT starting in 1943, working with Donald Wood Taylor in 1948. Robert V. Whitman is the author of Soil Mechanics , published by Wiley.