Karl Terzaghi, reached out to Laurits Bjerrum in 1954, impressed by his paper on Norwegian quick clays' stability. At 36, Bjerrum, already a PhD and NGI director, emphasized practical research integration, influenced by centers like Imperial College London. He advocated for Soil Mechanics in civil engineering education and founded its chair in 1960. Bjerrum left a lasting legacy, earning international acclaim for his NGI work and collaborations with geotechnicals like Terzaghi and Casagrande.

Sir Alec Westley Skempton was an English civil engineer and Professor of Soil Mechanics at Imperial College London. He is often referred to as one of the founding fathers of soil mechanics in the UK and around the world. Skempton established the soil mechanics course at Imperial College London and was one of the most important engineers of the 20th century.

Arthur Casagrande is one of the main people responsible for the geotechnics that we know today. Born in Slovenia, he went to the United States in 1926 to participate in major civil engineering projects. In his years of work with Karl Terzaghi, Casagrande focused on research studies, such as the development on the limits of Atterberg, and equipment for soil trials. Casagrande also was professor at Harvard University and a consultant.