The journal's creation was inextricably linked to preparations for the Second International Conference on Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering, held in Rotterdam in 1948.

[1] The discussions that led to the founding of Géotechnique involved a group of British soil mechanics pioneers during and shortly after their tour of European laboratories starting in late 1946, and included Rudolph Glossop, Hugh Golder, Bill Ward, and D.J.

[3] Their diverse backgrounds and achievements reflected the interdisciplinary approach that the journal sought to promote, combining engineering, geology, and experimental methods.

In addition, the Rankine Lecture, hosted in March of each year by the British Geotechnical Association, is published in the journal.

It is an exclusively online peer-reviewed journal, specialising in the rapid dissemination of research and developments in geotechnical engineering using an expedited publication process, with papers limited to 2,000 words of main text.