ABSTRACT: The writer has been working in the field of geotechnical engineering since 1984, along the way he has seen a number of deep excavation failures, some with minor casualties, others involving a huge amount of economic loss, some cost no human life, others with a number of fatalities. This paper tries to discuss what could be the causes of those failures, from the possible technical to the non-technical reasons. It also tries to extract what can be learned from those failures, starting from the lack of reliable soil investigation data, inadequate geotechnical design knowledge, poor execution, to poor quality control. The non technical reasons, such as: the lowest bid win policy and its implication are also discussed. Finally, steps to minimize geotechnical failures are suggested.

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