Hungarian Geotechnical Society

Magyar Geotechnikai Egyesület / Hungarian Geotechnical Society
c/o Budapest University of Technology and Economics 
Department of Engineering Geology and Geotechnics
Műegyetem rkp. 3. Kmf.1
1111 Budapest
HUNGARY

Tel: +36 1 463 1447;
Fax: +36 1 463 3006
Email: [email protected]

Website: http://www.geotechnikaiegyesulet.hu

President:  Edina Koch ([email protected])
Vice-president: Zsolt Szilvágyi ([email protected])
Secretary:   Benedek Nagy ([email protected])
 
History

"In Hungary, soil mechanics research made an early start. In 1928 the illustrious scientist, Professor J. Jáky, (Kossuth-prize winner,1948) established the first soil mechanics laboratory at the Technical University of Budapest, years ahead of many other countries in Europe. His theoretical results, particularly his outstanding achievements in earth pressure theory, are of fundamental significance. For a long time his laboratory remained the only consulting engineering institution in this country, and with his professional reports on foundation problems he made a great contribution to the implementation of almost every major civil engineering scheme in this country. In the post-war period, he had his full share in the building program of the national economy and the soil investigations of several large-scale projects such as the Danube Steelworks and the new underground railways of Budapest were started under his personal guidance. All those who have been actively engaged in soil mechanics research in this country are, directly or indirectly, his disciples." (From Kézdi, Á.: Handbook of Soil Mechanics, Vol. 1, Soil Physics, p. 13) 

Names of Presidents and other Officers 

1957 to October 1985 
President: Prof. Árpád KÉZDI 
Secretary: Dr. Gyula PÁTI 

October 1985 to May 1991 
President: Prof. Géza PETRASOVITS 
Secretary: Dr. Gyula PÁTI

May 1991 to June 1992 
President: Prof. László RÉTHÁTI 
Secretary: Dr. Gyula GRESCHIK (Acting President from December 1992) 

December 1993 to April 2000 
President: Dr. Gyula GRESCHIK 
Secretaries: Dr. Emoke IMRE 
Dr. Róbert SZEPESHÁZI 

April 2000 - November 2005 
President: Prof. Péter SCHARLE 
Secretaries: Dr. Emoke IMRE 
Dr. Róbert SZEPESHÁZI 

December 2005 -2009 
President: Prof. Gábor Telekes 
Secretaries: Dr. Emöke IMRE 
Dr. András Mahler

January 2009 – 
President: József MECSI 
Secretaries: Dr. András Mahler 

Number of Members 

Initially 25 
1992: 74 
1993: 84 
1994: 92 
1997: 98 
2000: 98 
2009 :110 

List and dates of Regional Meetings and Conferences 

Conference on Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering (with international participation), Budapest, September 1963 

2nd Budapest Conference on Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering, Budapest, 1966 

3rd Budapest Conference on Soil mechanics and Foundation Engineering, Budapest, 1968 

4th Budapest Conference (3rd Danube-European Conference) on Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering, Budapest, October 1971 

Fifth Budapest Conference on Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering, Budapest, October 1976 

Sixth Budapest Conference on Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering, Budapest, October 1984

9th Danube-European Conference on Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering, Budapest, October 1990

Domestic Events with international participation 

Memorial symposium at the centenary of professor Jáky's birthday and the tenth anniversary of professor Kézdi's death. Department of Geotechnics, Technical University of Budapest, September 1993 

Symposium on Unsaturated Soils, Department of Geotechnics, Technical University of Budapest, June 1998 
Professor Kézdi Memorial Exhibition, Central Library, Technical University of Budapest, 

Széchy Memorial Lecture. Annual event since 1994, with foreign guest and Hungarian speakers. 2010. XVI. Széchy Memorial Lecture

List of Outstanding Achievements and Personalities

Árpád KÉZDI (1919-1983) Professor of Geotechnics at the Technical University of Budapest. Member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. . Széchenyi-prize winner. One of the main initiators of Danube-European Conferences. Vice-President for Europe of ISSMFE, 1973-1977. Books: Handbook of Soil Mechanics, Vol. 1 to 4, Akadémiai Kiadó, Budapest - Elsevier Scientific Publishing Co., Amsterdam, 1974 - 1986. Soil Physics. Selected topics. Akadémiai Kiadó, Budapest 1979. Erddrucktheorien. Springer Verlag, Berlin-Göttingen-Heidelberg, 1962. Lateral earth pressure in Ground Engineer's Reference Book, Ed. F G Bell, Butterworths, London, 1987 .

Károly SZÉCHY (1903-1972) Professor of Foundation Engineering and Tunnelling at the TUB. Member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. Széchenyi-prize winner. Major professional achievements: Reconstruction of Budapest bridges destroyed in WW2. Head of Budapest Metro Construction Co. Books: The art of tunnelling, Akadémiai Kiadó, Budapest, 1973. Foundation failures, Muszaki Kiadó, Budapest. Foundation Engineering (co-authored by L Varga), Akadémiai Kiadó, Budapest, 1978. 

Árpád BALLA (1925-1967) Senior Lecturer in Geotechnics: Technical University of Budapest (1950-1964), Professor of Soil Mechanics, Khartoum University, Sudan ( 1964-1967). Authored fundamental research papers on stress function of triaxial compression test and oedometer test, ultimate bearing capacity of shallow foundations 

László RÉTHÁTI (1925-1992) Geotechnical consultant and head of quality monitoring division at the Institute of Surveying and Ground Investigations (FTI), one of the leading professional establishments of the time in Hungary. Professor of Geotechnics at the TUB (1989-1991). Books: Groundwater in Civil Engineering, Akadémiai Kiadó, Budapest, 1983. Probabilistic Solutions in Geotechnics, Elsevier Scientific Publishing Co., Amsterdam,1988. 

László RÓZSA (1925-1992) Chief engineer at UVATERV (Design office for roads and railways). Specialist in the design of underground structures, developing novel methods for the construction of tunnel lines and stations for the subways M 2 and M 3 in Budapest. Book: Foundation Engineering Manual (in Hungarian). Muszaki Könyvkiadó, Budapest, 1977.