Jean Kérisel

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

Egyptologist Egyptology (from ''Egypt'' and Greek , '' -logia''; ar, علم المصريات) is the study of ancient Egyptian history, language, literature, religion, architecture and art from the 5th millennium BC until the end of its native religiou ...

. 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 wat ...

and

geotechnics Geotechnical engineering is the branch of civil engineering concerned with the engineering behavior of earth materials. It uses the principles of soil mechanics and rock mechanics for the solution of its respective engineering problems. It al ...

. After studying at Ecole Polytechnique and Ecole Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées, he 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. 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. He 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 The British Geotechnical Association is a learned 'Associated Society' of the Institution of Civil Engineers,ICE Associated Societies newsletter, Spring/Summer 2011 (Accessed: 19 July 2013) based in London, England, and a registered UK charity (N ...

. He was " Commandeur de la Legion d'honneur" in France. French civil engineers École Polytechnique alumni École des Ponts ParisTech alumni Corps des ponts French Egyptologists 1908 births 2005 deaths Rankine Lecturers Geotechnical engineers 20th-century French engineers {{France-engineer-stub