How geotechnical design has advanced in Ireland and elsewhere in Europe with Eurocode 7

This paper is based on the 3rd Hanrahan lecture presented by the author to the Geotechnical Society Ireland on 6 April 2022. It describes how geotechnical engineering in Ireland and elsewhere in Europe has advanced with Eurocode 7 during the past 40 years. The situation regarding geotechnical engineering and the political context prior to 1981, when work started on Eurocode 7, is presented. Challenges in preparing Eurocode 7 included harmonizing Eurocode 7 with the other limit state Eurocodes for structural design while taking account of the particular features of soil and also accommodating the different geotechnical design traditions in the countries of Europe. These challenges were overcome and Eurocode 7 was published by the European Committee for Standardization, CEN, and implemented in 2010, resulting in all CEN members countries carrying out geotechnical designs using the design methods presented in Eurocode 7. Now, after being used for over 10 years, a second-generation version of Eurocode 7 is being prepared. The aims and main features of the second-generation version are outlined, including its improved ease of use and how it is honing the safety and reliability aspects of geotechnical design.