Reminiscences
Professor Milton Vargas
Life and work of the most important living
Brazilian geotechnical engineer
Interviewer: Mr. Helvio Falleiros, journalist of Brazilian
Society for Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering
Academic titles: Electrical Engineer, Sao Paulo University, 1938; Civil Engineer, Sao Paulo University,
1942; Special Student, Harvard University, 1946; Emeritus Professor, Sao Paulo University Polytechnic
School, 1988.
Career: IPT – Researcher at State of Sao Paulo Technological Research Institute ‐ (1938‐1952), Member of Research Council ‐ IPT (1952‐1987), and President IPT (1987).
Founder of THEMAG Engenharia Ltda, in 1961.
Pubications: more than 140 papers on soil mechanics, foundations, earth dams, etc.
Milton Vargas smiles in a reserved way when he starts to tell his story. He is ninety five years old. He dedicated his life to Engineering. This vocation started to show up when he was a kid, because the boy grew up surrounded by engineering civil works, following his family. By that time, one of the plays he liked most was building dams. Later, he was one of the first to study Brazilian residual soils. He believes in the Chinese proverb: “knowledge comes from the hands”. Milton Vargas introduced his country’s
soil to the most important name of international geotechnical engineering – Karl von Terzaghi. In almost a century of life, Vargas
developed three passions – Engineering, Philosophy and Literature. But when someone asks which one is the most important to him, he does not hesitate: “Engineering, I have no doubt”.
IPT (State of Sao Paulo Technological Research Institute) was something very important in your life, wasn’t it? Can you talk a bit about it?
I started my career at IPT, in 1938, when I was 24. By that time, I was completing studying Electrical Engineering at Sao Paulo
Polytechnic School. My first position was at the Foundations and Soils Session of the Institute. I went there because they organized a geophysic team. I studied electrical engineering, so I knew about electrical phenomenon.
Did you have any challenge or contribution at IPT?
Well, once my boss asked me to sound the ground. After that, I published an article about this technique being used in civil engineering works, as it was only used in mining jobs.
How did you choose electrical engineering?
My father, Abel Vargas, was a medical doctor and worked at Light and Power – electrical company. We used to live at dam´s sites and we were always close to the civil engineering works of the company. I have spent my childhood seeing dams and playing with sons of other engineers. We used to play building dams. I recall once adults come to destroy our dam because it was disturbing their job. It was indeed blocking their way, because it was well built. Growing up surrounded by engineers made me like them, rather than like my father, a physician.
You also studied civil engineering…
Yes. I graduated in 1942 from the same engineering school. I was still working at IPT.
You studied in Harvard University. What took you there?
It happened in 1946. I always had a scientific curiosity and a strong will to know Brazilian soils. The characteristics presented in studies and techniques did not correspond to the reality. So I decided to go to Harvard University, which was the main soil mechanics school at that time. By the way, professors Karl von Terzaghi and Arthur Casagrande were there, and were the two most important names in soil mechanics then.
I did not arrive there with empty hands, however. I took along me the experience I gained when doing research with tropical soils, at IPT. As a result of researchs in Brazil and at Harvard, it was possible to explain the differences between tropical soils, in Brazil, and sedimentary soil, elsewhere.
However during classes I did not hear about tropical soils. They only talked about sedimentary soils, which was what people knew about then. They were very interested in Boston’s clay and I knew Brazilian soils were different.
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