Respected Colleagues and Friends!Dear Readers and Authors of "Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering!"

In 2009, our journal will celebrate its 50th anniversary.Based on the initiative of distinguished scientist Mikhail Ivanovich Gorbunov-Posadov (1908-1991),

and the Academy of Construction and Architecture, of which he was an active member, and using theScientific-Research Institute of Foundations and Underground Structures as a base where positive expe-rience had been previously accumulated with dissemination of the scientific-technical information bul-letin "Beds and foundations," the journal "Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering" remains a pop-ular periodic publication unique to our country, shedding light on theoretical, experimental, design-pro-duction, technological, ecological, organizational and legal problems and achievement, practical experi-ence in the field of foundation engineering, geotechnics, underground structures, soil mechanics, struc-tural mechanics of designs, engineering geology, and ecology.

The following are permanent journal headings: "Soil mechanics," "Design," "Experimental inves-tigations. Structural properties of soils," "Technology and work production," "Construction under specialsoil conditions," "Construction on permafrost," "Emergencies and catastrophes," "Structural mechanics ofdesigns interacting with bed soils," "Discussion of construction rules and regulations," "Scientific infor-mation," "Ecology," and "Engineering surveys in construction."

All papers submitted for publication in the journal are reviewed and examined in meetings heldby the editorial staff in which authoritative scientists and specialists of leading scientific and designorganizations are included (Scientific-Research Institute of Foundations and Underground Structures,Moscow State Civil-Engineering University, Fundamentproekt, Gidroproekt, Gidrospetsproekt,Gidrospetsfundamentstroi, Aeroproekt, PNIIIS, GASIS, etc.).

Correpondent articles of the journal are generated in many cities throughout Russia, and farbeyond and close to the border.

The journal fully satisfies requirements set forth by the Higher Certification Commission, andpublications in the journal are considered in defending dissertations.

The following persons have been included at different times in the editorial office and editorialstaff of the journal: M. Yu. Abelev, D. D. Barkan, V. G. Berezantsev, V. G. Bulychev, B. D. Vasil'ev, S.S. Yalov, M. N. Gol'dshtein, M. I. Gorbunov-Posadov, Yu. K. Zaretskii, R. S. Ziangirov, V. N. Ivanov, P.L. Ivanov, V. A. Il'ichev, G. K. Klein, S. N. Klepikov, P. A. Konovalov, V. Ya. Kopeiko, V. I. Krutov, I.M. Litvinov, L. G. Mariupol'skii, M. A. Minkin, A. N. Mikhal'chuk, V. N. Razbegin, K. V. Ruppeneit, A.

Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering, Vol. 46, No. 1, 2009

50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE JOURNAL"SOIL MECHANICS AND FOUNDATION ENGINEERING"

V. N. RazbeginChief Editor of "Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering."Moscow, Russia

ANNIVERSARIES AND MEMORABLE DATES

Translated from Osnovaniya, Fundamenty i Mekhanika Gruntov, No. 1, pp. 2-4, January-February, 2009.

0038-0741/09/4601-0001 ©2009 Springer Science+Business Media, Inc. 1

Kh. Slavorosov, I. A. Simvulidi, K. S. Silin, V. P. Sipidin, Z. G. Ter-Martirosyan, R. A. Tokar', V. I.Travush, Yu. G. Trofimenkov, S. B. Ukhov, B. S. Fedorov, V. G. Fedorovskii, E. P. Khalizev, N. A. Tsy-tovich, V. I. Sheinin, and others.

M. V. Malyshev, and V. V. Mikheev and E. A. Sorchan have been members of the editorial stafffrom 1959 and 1960, respectively, to the present.

The inconspicuous Valentina Vasil'evna Mednova has been working in the editorial office sincethe very first day. Deputy Chief Editor Irina Vasil'evna Soboleva and Respondent Secretary RimmaVladimirovna Maksimyak have given of themselves to the journal for almost two decades, while muchof the work involving computer printing, layout, and technical editing in both the Russian and Englishlanguages has fallen onto the broad shoulders of Ekaterina Nikolaeva Mironova.

Chief Editors of the journal have been: R. A. Tokar' (from 1959 through 1973), and B. S.Fedorov (from 1973 through 1987), who had simultaneously headed the Scientific-Research Institute ofFoundations and Underground Structures.

M. I. Gorbunov-Posadov had served as the Deputy Chief Editor, and the conscience, indubitableleader, and actual chairman of the editorial staff from 1959 through 1991.

Since 1991, V. N. Razbegin and Yu K. Zartetskii have been the journal's Chief Editor and chair-man of the editorial staff, respectively.

The journal had been published by the publishing house Stroiizdat, and in recent years by thepublishing house "Ekonomika, Stroitel'stvo, Tranport" (EST).

The Podol'skaya typographer (an affiliate of the Chekhovsk Polygraphic Combine) has been areliable partner of the journal for the entire 50 years.

Since 1964, the journal has been translated into the English language, and disseminated intomore than 30 countries throughout the world (currently by the Springer Science + Business Media Inc.,one of the world's largest publishers of scientific literature).

It is accepted to note that with respect to number of permanent subscriptions from abroad, "SoilMechanics and Foundation Engineering" is one of the most highly sought after Russian journals.

Publications in the journal find reflection in a majority of popular international electronic databases and search systems.

Also disseminated in the English language is a complete electronic version of the journal, whichis acquiring ever-increasing popularity. The plot in Fig. 1 illustrates the increase in the number of pur-chased electronic copies of individual papers and complete annual sets.

It is interesting that not only papers of recent years, but also publications from previous years(beginning with 1965!) are profiting from high readership demand.

In the Russian language, electronic archives exist from the year 2000, while papers issued inprevious years can be obtained in the form of scanned copies of the paper version.

This issue contains detailed instructions as to how this can be accomplished.Unfortunately, it is impossible to give even a brief review of the themes and trends presented in

the journal during these years within the framework of a single paper. In this jubilee year, we havecalled for a series of publications containing thematic reviews in dimensional correspondence with thejournal heading, but even now, it is possible to state that attentive analysis of papers published over thepast 50 years (more than 2,500) will provide a clear and fully representative picture of the developmentof basic ideas defining the modern status of soil mechanics and foundation engineering both in theoret-ical plan, and also from the standpoint of process-engineering, design, and production practice.

We can assume that with respect to many problems, these were precisely the first pioneer publi-cations.

It is not by chance that many of the papers have, and are arousing a natural desire to enter intopolemics and scientific discussion with the authors.

The editorial office and editorial staff of the journal have always welcomed such an exchange ofopinions, accommodating thematic selections and round tables, publishing critical materials and their

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responses, and even initiating special seminars. Here, the only requirement of participants to the discus-sions has been strict conformance to principles of scientific ethics and no substitution to a critique ofscientific positions taken by a critique of the authors expressing these positions.

Hereinafter, we are also planning to develop these forms of study.Authors, who have yet to reach the age of 35, are publishing for us less often than would be

desired. Understanding the objective difficulties that they endure in competition with assigned authori-ties, it would be desirable to recall that we have inserted the special heading "Young scientists and spe-cialists," and guaranteed special attention to these studies.

It would also be desirable to note the jubilee year with memorable papers. Striving to accom-plish this, the editorial office and editorial staff are announcing a competition for the best publicationin the journal. We will be obliged to publish all papers − applicants (which have, of course, passed amandatory review by the editorial staff) in the No. 2 issue of 2009 through the No. 2 issue of 2010inclusively, even if it is required to increase the standard number of pages of the journal. The editori-al staff will then, based on its opinion, select the 7-10 best papers, and they will be presented at theannual 2010 meeting of the Russian Society for Soil Mechanics, Geotechnics, and Foundation Engi-neering (RSSMGFE), where a final direct secret vote will be compiled in which all members of theRSSMGFE would participate.

The first prize will be set at 100,000 rubles, the second at 50,000 rubles, the third at 30,000rubles, and an incentive prize of 20,000 rubles will be presented to authors under 35 years of age.

As previous years have indicated, many of which have been difficult to call favorable for thedevelopment of engineering sciences in our paper, the journal is an effective and reliable tool for ensur-ing fruitful intercourse and exchange of ideas and developments of the scientific, engineering, and pro-duction communities in the field of soil mechanics and foundation engineering, and for the developmentand implementation of the most interesting results.

The editorial office and editorial staff are making all effects, as in the past, to be, however, theprimary address for you, the esteemed authors and readers.

We celebrate with you, dear friends and colleagues!

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0

10000

20000

30000

40000

50000

2005 2006 2007 2008

Fig. 1. Number of electronic copies of papers in English-language version of journal ordered from January 2005 through December 2008.