8. Conclusion

Subsoil-related hazards are an inescapable component of civil engineering construction. Controlling and reducing the potential impact of these hazards is at the very heart of geotechnical engineering.

The geotechnical engineer is required to predict the actual behavior of a structure, whether new or existing, with or without pathologies, with a level of reliability such that the analysis enables real optimization of the work to be carried out, to best satisfy the technical and economic interests of the client.

For new structures, auscultation enables work to be optimized during the design phase, and then adapted during construction. For existing structures presenting pathologies, auscultation can be used to optimize remedial measures and resources. Structural monitoring and instrumentation are therefore invaluable decision-making tools for...