Abstract: In spite of the numerous achievements in theory and practice of geotechnical engineering, there have been such claims as crisis in confidence of soil mechanics, undesirable by-effects of soil mechanics, etc. In this paper are described, as examples, notions in connection with earth pressure, bearing capacity and framed structure-box foundation interaction computations, which are inappropriate or even erroneous, and have not been noticed, at least apparently, and have appeared in design specifications. Remarks on the practice and teaching of geotechnical engineering are also discussed.