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.

The Human brain is only 100,000 years old. Yet, this newly evolved organ endows us with unique creative capabilities beyond all other living creatures, including the gift to understand itself. As our very survival and success in life depends on utilizing our brain’s power, intense efforts have begun worldwide to understand the brain, reverse-engineer it and even augment its capacity.

Although solar thermal systems are technologically mature and cost effective, they have not yet been sufficiently used in building design, where they should be playing a greater role in the reduction of fossil-fuel consumption. One main hindrance to adoption is the generally low architectural design quality of the building integration of these thermal systems.

This groundbreaking essay on Le Corbusier provides a new perspective that is based on exhaustive archival research and the study of neglected or completely unknown documents stored at the Fondation Le Corbusier...

Conditions for travel have changed and are still changing the world — a world experiencing what John Urry, among others, calls the ‘mobility turn’. Since World War II we have been moving faster and going further — a fact that has profoundly changed our way of experiencing both the world and ourselves.