Abstract: This paper discusses the stateoftheart progress of the application of the shallow geophysical exploration methods in the geotechnical engineering. These methods include walking speed strata tomography; resistivity strata tomography and multichannel instant surface wave method. The challenges of the following aspects are discussed:  nonuniqueness of the geophysical exploration methods; back analysis basic assumptions that contradicting with the site conditions, exploration depth versus accuracy and the relationship between the physical properties and the engineering properties. The objective of these discussions is to apply the geophysical method in more and wider engineering practices.

Key words: Shallow Surface Geophysical Methods, Geotechnical Engineering, Geophysical Exploration Methods