The British Geotechnical Association (BGA) is the principal association for geotechnical engineers in the UK.
The British Geotechnical Association (BGA) is the principal association for geotechnical engineers in the UK.
The Rankine Lecture is widely viewed as the most prestigious of the invited lectures in geotechnics and was first held in 1961. The Rankine Lecture is held in London in March each year, and in recent years is webcast live to a global geotechnical audience
The Rankine Lecture is widely viewed as the most prestigious of the invited lectures in geotechnics. It commemorates William John Macquorn 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. A list of all the lecturers (and links to their published papers, where available) is given below:
Emerald Publishing (formerly ICE Publishing) has made the Rankine Lecture papers free to read from the start of the lectures in 1961 thorough to 2000. The papers can be accessed by clicking on the link for the paper, and then clicking on the ‘Open PDF’ button in the ICE Virtual Library page.
Papers from 2000 onwards can be purchased from Emerald Publishing via the link for each paper. Where the post-2000 papers are free to read via open access agreements this is shown against the relevant paper.
| Year | Speaker and lecture title |
|---|---|
| 2026 | Prof. W. Powrie: The role of behavioural mechanisms and observed performance in affordable, resilient geotechnical infrastructure |
| 2025 | Prof. K. Soga: From Geo-monitor to Geo-adapt: leveraging distributed sensing and data analytics for performance-based design, construction, and maintenance |
| 2024 | Prof. L. Zdravković: Geotechnical engineering for a sustainable society |
| 2023 | Prof. J.P. Carter: Constitutive modelling in computational geomechanics https://doi.org/10.1680/jgeot.23.RL.001 (open access paper) |
| 2022 | Prof. S. A. Jefferis: The unusual and the unexpected in geotechnical engineering: observation – analogy – experiment |
| 2021 | No Rankine Lecture was held (due to restrictions of the Covid-19 Pandemic) |
| 2020 | No Rankine Lecture was held (due to restrictions of the Covid-19 Pandemic) |
| 2019 | Prof. G Gazetas: Benefits of unconventional seismic foundation design |
| 2018 | Dr N. O'Riordan: Dynamic soil-structure interaction - understanding the Holocene, instrumenting the Anthropocene |
| 2017 | Prof. E. Alonso: Triggering and motion of landslides https://doi.org/10.1680/jgeot.20.RL.001 (open access paper) |
| 2016 | Prof. R. J. Jardine: Geotechnics and energy (open access paper) |
| 2015 | Dr. S. Lacasse: Hazard, risk and reliability in geotechnical practice |
| 2014 | Prof G. Houlsby: Interactions in offshore foundation design |
| 2013 | Prof. M. Jamiolkowski: Soil Mechanics and the observational method: Challenges at the Zelazny Most copper tailings disposal facility |
| 2012 | Prof M. D. Bolton: Performance-based design in geotechnical engineering |
| 2011 | Prof. S. W. Sloan: Geotechnical stability analysis |
| 2010 | Prof. C. R. I. Clayton: Stiffness at small strain - research and 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. R. J. Mair: Tunnelling and geotechnics - new horizons |
| 2005 | Prof. R. K. Rowe: Long term performance of contaminant barrier systems |
| 2004 | Prof. N. N. Ambraseys: Engineering, seismology and soil mechanics |
| 2003 | Prof. M. F. Randolph: Science and empiricism in pile foundation design |
| 2002 | Prof. D. M. Potts: Numerical analysis: a virtual dream or practical reality? (open access paper) |
| 2001 | Prof. H. Brandl: Energy foundations and other thermo-active ground structures |
| 2000 | Prof. J. H. Atkinson: Non-linear soil stiffness in routine design (open access paper) |
| 1999 | Prof. S. Leroueil: Natural slopes and cuts: movement and failure mechanisms (open access paper) |
| 1998 | Dr D.W. Hight: Soil characterisation: the importance of structure and anisotropy |
| 1997 | Prof. G.E. Blight: Interactions between the atmosphere and the Earth (open access paper) |
| 1996 | Prof. S.F. Brown: Soil mechanics in pavement engineering (open access paper) |
| 1995 | Prof. R.E. Goodman: Block theory and its application (open access paper) |
| 1994 | Prof. P.R. Vaughan: Assumption, prediction and reality in geotechnical engineering |
| 1993 | Prof. K. Ishihara: Liquefaction and flow failure during earthquakes (open access paper) |
| 1992 | Dr B. Simpson: Retaining structures: displacement and design (open access paper) |
| 1991 | Prof. J.K Mitchell: Conduction phenomena: from theory to geotechnical practice (open access paper) |
| 1990 | Prof. J.B. Burland: On the compressibility and shear strength of natural clays (open access paper) |
| 1989 | Prof. H.G. Poulos: Pile behaviour – theory and application (open access paper) |
| 1988 | Prof. H.B. Sutherland: Uplift resistance in soils (open access paper) |
| 1987 | Prof. R.F. Scott: Failure (open access paper) |
| 1986 | Dr A.D.M. Penman: On the embankment dam (open access paper) |
| 1985 | Prof. N. Janbu: Soil models in offshore engineering (open access paper) |
| 1984 | Prof. C.P. Wroth: The interpretation of in situ soil tests (open access paper) |
| 1983 | E. Hoek: Strength of jointed rock masses (open access paper) |
| 1982 | Dr D.J. Henkel: Geology, geomorphology and geotechnics (open access paper) |
| 1981 | Prof. N.R. Morgenstern: Geotechnical engineering and frontier resource development (open access paper) |
| 1980 | Prof. A.N. Schofield: Cambridge geotechnical centrifuge operations (open access paper) |
| 1979 | Prof. H. Bolton Seed: Considerations in the earthquake-resistant design of earth and rockfill dams (open access paper) |
| 1978 | Dr W.H. Ward: Ground supports for tunnels in weak rocks (open access paper) |
| 1977 | V.F.B. de Mello: Reflections on design decisions of practical significance to embankment dams |
| 1976 | Dr A.C. Meigh: The Triassic rocks, with particular reference to predicted and observed performance of some major foundations (open access paper) |
| 1975 | Prof. J. Kerisel: Old structures in relation to soil conditions (open access paper) |
| 1974 | Prof. R.E. Gibson: The analytical method in soil mechanics (open access paper) |
| 1973 | Prof. T.W. Lambe: Predictions in soil engineering (open access paper) |
| 1972 | Prof. P.W. Rowe: The relevance of soil fabric to site investigation practice (open access paper) |
| 1971 | Prof. J.C. Jaeger: Friction of rocks and stability of rock slopes (open access paper) |
| 1970 | Prof. K.H. Roscoe: The influence of strains in soil mechanics (open access paper) |
| 1969 | Prof. R.B. Peck: Advantages and limitations of the observational method in applied soil mechanics (open access paper) |
| 1968 | R. Glossop: The rise of geotechnology and its influence on engineering practice (open access paper) |
| 1967 | Dr L. Bjerrum: Engineering geology of Norwegian normally-consolidated marine clays as related to settlements of buildings (open access paper) |
| 1966 | Prof. A.W. Bishop: The strength of soils as engineering materials (open access paper) |
| 1965 | Prof. N.M. Newmark: Effects of earthquakes on dams and embankments (open access paper) |
| 1964 | Prof. A.W. Skempton: Long-term stability of clay slopes (open access paper) |
| 1963 | A. Mayer: Recent work in rock mechanics (open access paper) |
| 1962 | Dr L.F. Cooling: Field measurements in soil mechanics (open access paper) |
| 1961 | Prof. A. Casagrande: Control of seepage through foundations and abutments of dams (open access paper) |