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Emmericus Carel Willem Adriaan Geuze

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Emmericus Carel Willem Adriaan Geuze
Born(1906-03-17)17 March 1906
Dordrecht, The Netherlands
Died3 November 1987(1987-11-03) (aged 81)
Rensselaer County, New York, United States
Alma materTechnische Hoogeschoole Delft
Known forDevelopments of the Cone Penetration Test
Founding of the Géotechnique journal
Head of Research at the Laboratorium voor Grondmechanica
SpouseMélanie Nancy Veenstra (1934 – 1979, her death)
ParentPieter Jan Geuze
Scientific career
FieldsCivil engineering
Soil mechanics
InstitutionsDelft University of Technology
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Arab Potash Company
Laboratorium voor Grondmechanica
Koninklijk Instituut van Ingenieurs
Academic advisorsAlbert Sybrandus Keverling Buisman
Gerrit Hendrik van Mourik Broekman

Emmericus Carel Willem Adriaan "Wim" Geuze (17 March 1906 – 3 September 1987) was a Dutch civil engineer who contributed to the development of soil mechanics, and the founding of the geotechnical engineering journal, Géotechnique. He was head of research at the Laboratorium voor Grondmechanica (English: Soil Mechanics Laboratory) in Delft, and professor of soil mechanics at Delft University of Technology and the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.[1]

Geuze was also an accomplished saxophonist, and a founder member of the Dutch Swing College Band. Deported to a forced labour camp in Germany during the Second World War, he escaped and returned to the Netherlands by hiding in a truck.[2]

Life and career

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Geuze was born in Dordrecht in 1906, the son of Pieter Jan Geuze. After completing high school in 1923, he studied civil engineering at Technische Hoogeschoole Delft, where he studied under the founder of soil mechanics in the Netherlands, Albert Sybrandus Keverling Buisman.[3] Geuze also studied coastal and river engineering under Gerrit Hendrik van Mourik Broekman. In 1931, he became a student member of the Royal Netherlands Society of Engineers (KIVI), becoming treasurer of the hydraulics department in 1940.[2]

He was a founding member of the Laboratorium voor Grondmechanica Delft (later known as GeoDelft) in 1936 and was appointed head of the research department in 1949. He was appointed as lecturer in soil mechanics at Delft in 1946, and promoted to professor of soil mechanics in 1951. He published his acceptance speech for the position, entitled De ontwikkeling der grondmechanica tot technische wetenscchap (English: The Development of Soil Mechanics as a Technical Science), the same year.[4]

In 1934, Geuze married Mélanie Nancy Veenstra in The Hague.[1] She died unexpectedly in 1979.[5] Known to his friends and colleagues as "Wim", he had multilingual proficiency in Dutch, English, French, and German, and was highly regarded by students and colleagues.[2] A talented saxophonist, Geuze also became a founding member of the Dutch Swing College Band. During World War II, Geuze was arrested and deported to a labour camp in Germany. He escaped and returned to the Netherlands, hidden in a truck.[6][2]

Contributions to geotechnical engineering

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Geuze's research initially focused on groundwater flow through dikes, employing the Hele-Shaw model, and the Dutch cell test, a concept originally designed by Buisman. He gained prominence for his work on the cone penetration test (CPT) and the critical density of sands, exploring various cone sizes to understand scaling rules. His innovative approach often involved creative solutions for transport and field testing.[7][8][4][9]

Geuze was instrumental in the organisation of the 2nd International Conference on Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering in Rotterdam, contributing significantly and serving as the Secretary of the Organising Committee.[10] In 1946, he met with Rudolph Glossop and Hugh Golder in the Netherlands, with the three discussing the creation of a journal dedicated to soil mechanics over drinks in a nightclub.[11]

The group were encouraged by eminent engineer and soil mechanics expert, Karl von Terzaghi,[12] and their work led to the founding of Géotechnique by a committee including Geuze, Glossop and Golder, along with engineers Edward E. de Beer, Leonard Cooling, Jean-Pierre Daxelhofer, Jacques Florentin, Robert Haefeli, Alec Skempton, Armin von Moos, and William H. Ward.[13] The journal continues to be published by the Institution of Civil Engineers.[14][2][15]

His work was recognised internationally, with papers published in esteemed journals, including Géotechnique.[2] In 1958, he served on the Commissie voor het onderzoek naar de spanningstoestand in dijken (Commission for the Investigation into the State of Stress in Dikes), a Rijkswaterstaat commission which undertook investigations into the stability and geotechnical conditions of dikes in the Netherlands following the devastating effects of the North Sea flood of 1953, along with other engineers including Pieter Philippus Jansen and H.A. Ferguson.[6][16] He also published research and studies on coastal and dike issues prior to this.[17][18]

In 1960, the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs assigned Geuze to Jordan to establish the Arab Potash Company, marking the beginning of what would become a significant industry. He later moved to the United States, joining the faculty at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York.[2][19][20]

He died on 3 September 1987 in Rensselaer, New York.[2]

References

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  1. ^ a b Dordrecht, Regional Archive. "Regionaal Archief Dordrecht". www.regionaalarchiefdordrecht.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved 21 December 2023.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h Burland, J.B. (2008). "The founders of Géotechnique". Géotechnique. 58 (5): 327–341. Bibcode:2008Getq...58..327B. doi:10.1680/geot.2008.58.5.327. ISSN 0016-8505. Retrieved 20 December 2023.
  3. ^ "Albert Sybrandus Keverling Buisman". TU Delft. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
  4. ^ a b Geuze, E.C.W.A. (31 October 1951). "De ontwikkeling der grondmechanica tot technische wetenschap" [The Development of Soil Mechanics as a Technical Science] (public lecture) (in Dutch). Delft University of Technology. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
  5. ^ "Familiebericht". NRC Handelsblad. 10 October 1979. Retrieved 22 December 2023.
  6. ^ a b Geuze, E.C.W.A.; Jansen, P.P.; Ferguson, H.A.; Edelman, T.; Bischoff van Heemskerk, W.C.; Nanninga, N.; Vreedenburgh, C.G.J.; Ligtenberg, F.K.; Loof, H.W.; Van der Sande, G.A.F.; Van Mierlo, W.C.; De Josselin de Jong, G.; Van IJsseldijk, A.W.; Joustra, K.; Formsma, H.J. (1958). "Rapport van de Commissie voor het onderzoek naar de spanningstoestand in dijken" [Report of the Commission for the Investigation into the State of Stress in Dikes] (in Dutch). Rijkswaterstaat. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
  7. ^ "British Geotechnical Society Twenty-fifth Anniversary Report". Géotechnique. 25 (4): 629–656. 1975. Bibcode:1975Getq...25..629.. doi:10.1680/geot.1975.25.4.629. ISSN 0016-8505.
  8. ^ Niechcial, Judith (2002). A Particle of Clay: The Biography of Alec Skempton, Civil Engineer. Whittles. ISBN 978-1-870325-84-4.
  9. ^ Geuze, E. C. W. A.; Kie, Tan Tjong (1950). "The Shearing Properties of Soils". Géotechnique. 2 (2): 141–161. Bibcode:1950Getq....2..141G. doi:10.1680/geot.1950.2.2.141. ISSN 0016-8505. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
  10. ^ van Mourik Broekman, G.H. (1948). "Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering, Rotterdam, June 21 - 30, 1948" (PDF). Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering. Rotterdam. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
  11. ^ Golder, H.Q. (1969). "Correspondence: Géotechnique". Géotechnique. 19 (2): 313–315. doi:10.1680/geot.1969.19.2.313. ISSN 0016-8505. Retrieved 23 December 2023.
  12. ^ "Géotechnique". Retrieved 23 December 2023.
  13. ^ Brown, S.F. (1982). "The development of Géotechnique: 1948–1980. The first 30 volumes". Géotechnique. 32 (2): 95–110. Bibcode:1982Getq...32...95B. doi:10.1680/geot.1982.32.2.95. ISSN 0016-8505.
  14. ^ Glossop, R. (1975). "British Geotechnical Society Twenty-fifth Anniversary Report". Géotechnique. 25 (4): 629–656. Bibcode:1975Getq...25..629.. doi:10.1680/geot.1975.25.4.629. ISSN 0016-8505. Retrieved 23 December 2023.
  15. ^ "Géotechnique | Vol 74, No 1". Géotechnique. Retrieved 23 December 2023.
  16. ^ Stamhuis, E. (1997). Afsluitingstechnieken in de Nederlandse Delta: Een overzicht van de ontwikkeling van deze techniek [Closure techniques in the Dutch Delta: An overview of the development of the technique] (in Dutch). The Hague: Rijkswaterstaat. ISBN 9057301768. Retrieved 20 December 2023.
  17. ^ Geuze, E.C.W.A. (1958). "Rapport van de Commissie voor het Onderzoek naar de Spanningstoestand in Dijken" [Report of the Commission for the Investigation into the Stress Condition in Dikes] (in Dutch). Rijkswaterstaat. p. 23. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
  18. ^ E.C.W.A. Geuze (1951). "Onderzoekingen verband houdende met de oevervallen in Zeeland" [Investigations Related to the Shore Falls in Zeeland] (in Dutch). Rijkswaterstaat. p. 5. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
  19. ^ "Geuze, Emmericus | Guides to Institute Records and Manuscript Collections". guides.archives.rpi.edu. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
  20. ^ Geuze, E.C.W.A. (1961). Mass Earth Movement and Treatment Feasibility Study (Report). Retrieved 21 December 2023.
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