Charles-Augustin Coulomb : A geotechnical tribute

In 1773, Charles Augustin COULOMB submitted to the Academy of Sciences his memoir entitled "Essay on an application of the rules of maximis and minimis to some problems of Statics relating to Architecture". This text is considered to be the foundation in geotechnics of subsequent work on the stability of slopes, pressures on retaining walls, bearing capacity of foundations, etc. In order to pay tribute to the contributions of Coulomb in geotechnics and to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the publication of his memoir, the French Committee for Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering (CFMS) is organizing an international symposium intended to highlight the various contributions of Coulomb's theory to geotechnics. It will give the opportunity to French and European experts to testify to the importance of the legacy of Coulomb's work in today's geotechnics, including in its most recent developments. During the symposium the annual honorary lecture "Coulomb Lecture" will be presented by Professor Robertson.