Jean Lehuérou Kérisel (18 November 1908 – 22 January 2005) was a French engineer and

Egyptologist Egyptology (from ''Egypt'' and Greek , ''-logia''; ) is the scientific study of ancient Egypt. The topics studied include ancient Egyptian history, language, literature, religion, architecture and art from the 5th millennium BC until the end ...

. He was a specialist in

soil mechanics Soil mechanics is a branch of soil physics and applied mechanics that describes the behavior of soils. It differs from fluid mechanics and solid mechanics in the sense that soils consist of a heterogeneous mixture of fluids (usually air and ...

and

geotechnics Geotechnical engineering, also known as geotechnics, is the branch of civil engineering concerned with the engineering behavior of earth materials. It uses the principles of soil mechanics and rock mechanics to solve its engineering problems. I ...

. After studying at Ecole Polytechnique and Ecole Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées, Kérisel became a pioneer in understanding and modeling the way soil interacts with man built structures. He had a rich career, as a civil servant (he notably led the reconstruction effort in France after World War II, from 1944 to 1951), as an entrepreneur (he founded the soil mechanics engineering firm called SIMECSOL), and as a teacher and a writer. He married Suzy Caquot, the daughter of Albert Caquot, in 1931. Towards the end of his life, he applied his engineering skills to examining old buildings with a different perspective. He examined the descending corridor of the

Great Pyramid of Giza The Great Pyramid of Giza is the largest Egyptian pyramid. It served as the tomb of pharaoh Khufu, who ruled during the Fourth Dynasty of Egypt, Fourth Dynasty of the Old Kingdom of Egypt, Old Kingdom. Built , over a period of about 26 years ...

in 1992. An engineer's perspective in the field of Egyptology for instance led him to the publication of interesting theories about the Kheops pyramid and where the actual Kheops tomb might be located. Kérisel also wrote books about the "invisible art of the builder" (foundations) and "of stones and man", a set of thoughts about the skills and limitations of great builders through history. He received numerous distinctions for his work, becoming the President of the French Committee for Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering (1969-1973) and the President of the

International Society for Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering The International Society for Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering (ISSMGE) is an international professional association, presently based in London, representing engineers, academics and contractors involved in geotechnical engineering. It ...

(ISSMFE - 1973-1979). He was awarded an "honoris causa" PhD by the universities of Liege and Naples, and was honored by the Hungarian Science Academy and the British Geotechnical Association. He was Commandeur de la Legion d'honneur in France.

References

French civil engineers École Polytechnique alumni École des Ponts ParisTech alumni Corps des ponts French Egyptologists 1908 births 2005 deaths Geotechnical engineers 20th-century French engineers {{France-engineer-stub