The Society was inaugurated on 27th February 1986 with the objective of providing a forum for disseminating new knowledge in the field of geotechnical engineering and promoting research. With time, SLGS has gained recognition as a member of the International Society of Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering (ISSMGE) thus opening opportunities to participate internationally in the advancement of Geotechnical Engineering. Over the last thirty-five years of its existence SLGS has worked in different fronts to meet its founding objectives.
Many workshops were organized with world renowned experts in the field as resource personnel. There were workshops on; Piled Raft Foundations (1998), Landslide Hazard Zonation (1999), Practice of Unsaturated Soil Mechanics (2000), Rock Engineering (2000), Reinforced Earth Design (2003) and Design of Landfills (2004).
Many workshops were organized with world renowned experts in the field as resource personnel. There were workshops on; Piled Raft Foundations (1998), Landslide Hazard Zonation (1999), Practice of Unsaturated Soil Mechanics (2000), Rock Engineering (2000), Reinforced Earth Design (2003) and Design of Landfills (2004).
Annual conferences were held on timely topics. Geo Forum – an evening lecture held monthly provide opportunities for the Sri Lankan geotechnical community to learn from the experiences of researchers and practitioners both local and overseas. Technical visits are arranged to projects of geotechnical importance.
The Project Day competition which commenced in year 2000 is held annually among Sri Lankan undergraduates doing projects in the field of geotechnical engineering. It
is organized with the objective of encouraging them to do good research and publish. Participants are expected to present their findings in a concise four
paged paper and make a presentation. The best paper and the second paper was given a cash awards and a certificate. Many winners in the past years have proceeded to do higher studies and established good carriers in the field of Geotechnical Engineering as both academics and practicing engineers.
Contributions made by the founder president of SLGS Prof. A Thurairajah who is considered as the father of Soil Mechanics in Sri Lanka is widely acknowledged by all. Since then, many geotechnical engineers who had their initial training in Sri Lanka have excelled in the field of geotechnical engineering as academics, researchers and practitioners in the developed world. They contribute generously to the events organized by SLGS.