Soil mechanics testing is a fundamental element of geotechnical engineering. It involves the study and understanding of the physical properties and behavior of soils, especially in planning foundations for structures and highways.

How the soil of a given site will support the weight of structures or respond to movement in the course of construction depends on a number of properties (compressibility, elasticity, and permeability). Soil testing not only allows geotechnical engineers to obtain information on a soil’s physical properties but also allows them to understand the level of stress applied.

By extracting and testing representative samples, an engineer can create a model very close to the real situation. Example applications are the building of large infrastructures, bridge foundations, retaining
walls, dams, and buried pipeline systems.