Environmental Geomechanics cover a wide range of topics concerned with the mechanical behaviour of geomaterials. The problems addressed are complex, mainly due to the coexistence of several species and phases, to their interaction and their often non-linear behaviour. Experimental evidence is difficult to obtain and laboratory as well as in-situ testing procedures present serious challenges. Numerical techniques are used to solve the complex non-linear analytical systems. Integration of new models for engineering applications will require a considerable effort among engineering teams. Due to the number of phenomena influencing the solutions an interdisciplinary approach to Environmental Geomechanics is therefore necessary.

The Workshop will specifically cover the following topics of environmental geomechanics: Constitutive aspects - Mechanics of unsaturated soils, thermal behaviour, influence of chemical content of fluids on the mechanical properties, durability, creep and long-term effects. Coupled Formulations - Thermodynamics, mixture theories, intercation between constituents, phase changes. Case studies - Advanced modelling of real cases will provide example of potential and limitations of the existing theories.

Photovoltaic technology has now developed to the extent that it is close to fulfilling the vision of a “solar-energy world,” as devices based on this technology are becoming efficient, low-cost and durable. This book provides a comprehensive treatment of thin-film silicon, the most prevalent PV material, in terms of its semiconductor nature, starting out with the physical properties, but concentrating on device applications.

The use of neural implants for stimulation and recording show excellent promise in restoring certain functions to the central nervous system; and neuroprostheses remain one of the most important tools of neuroscientists for the elucidation of the brain’s function.

Barely five weeks after the opening of the Rolex Learning Center, the verdict fell—the building’s architects, Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa (SAANA), were announced the winners of the 2010 Pritzker Prize, the most prestigious prize in architecture.

The dye-sensitized solar cell (DSC) is a photovoltaic converter that mimics natural photosynthesis. Like green plants and algae it uses a molecular absorber, the dye, to harvest sunlight and generate electric charges.