Understanding the behaviour of unsaturated soils is becoming exclusively essential for geotechnical engineers and designers. This book includes the Proceedings of the International Conference "From Experimental Evidence Towards Numerical Modeling of Unsaturated Soils" uniting researchers and practitioners in geotechnical engineering on a single platform and discussing the problems associated with unsaturated soils. The objectives of the International Conference were: (a) to promote unsaturated soil mechanics for practical application, (b) to exchange experiences in experimental unsaturated soil mechanics and numerical modelling, (c) to discuss application of unsaturated soil mechanics to a variety of problems. The conference was additionally a status report in the frame of the DFG research group "Mechanics of Unsaturated Soils". The conference was organised under the auspices of the International Society of Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering (ISSMGE), the National German Geotechnical Society (DGGT) and funded by the German Research Fund (DFG).

Zusammenfassung
These proceedings document the various papers delivered and partially presented at the International Conference From experimental evidence towards numerical modeling of unsaturated soils, which was held in Weimar (Germany) during 18-19 September 2003. The conference was organized under the auspices of the International Society of Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering (ISSMGE) and the National German G- technical Society (DGGT). The need to understand the behavior of unsaturated soils is becoming exclusively - sential for the geotechnical engineers and designers. In the last three decades many - searchers have made significant contribution to the understanding of the unsaturated soil mechanics. Nevertheless, application of the subject to variety of new problems still - quires our attention. This International conference is a mere attempt to unite researchers and engineers in geotechnical engineering and to discuss about the problems associated with the unsaturated soils. Doing so the objectives of these lecture notes are as follows: - to promote unsaturated soil mechanics for practical application, - to exchange experiences in experimental unsaturated soil mechanics and numerical modeling, - to discuss application of unsaturated soil mechanics to variety of problems. In other words, we could also name these two volumes as From theory to daily pr- tice. I would like to extend my deep sense of appreciation as the editor and the Head of the organizing committee, to many persons who have contributed either directly or indirectly to organize the International conference and to finalize these proceedings.

Inhalt
Hydraulic Behaviour.- Laboratory Experiments and Simulations on the Significance of Non-Equilibrium Effect in the Capillary Pressure-Saturation Relationship.- Determination of hydro-mechanical Properties of Sand.- Column test apparatus for the inverse estimation of soil hydraulic parameters under defined stress condition.- Water permeability of unsaturated compacted kaolin.- Moisture retention curve in landfilled waste.- The pF-curve of fine-grained soils at high pore water suction.- Structural Characterization - Measurement of Suction.- Influence of microstructure on geotechnical properties of clays.- Suction induced by static compaction.- Suction of compacted residual soils.- Creation of artificial loess soils.- Analysis of the mechanical response of an artificial collapsible soil.- Fabric Evolution of an Unsaturated Compacted Soil during Hydromechanical Loading.- Measurement of osmotic suction using the squeezing technique.- The use of different suction measurement techniques to determine water retention curves.- Measurement of Suction of Thick Textured Soil using Filter Paper Method and Equivalent Tensiometer EQT.- Laboratory measurement of matric suction in pyroclastic soil using vacuum and high-suction tensiometers.- Expansive Soils.- Volume Change Behaviour of Fine Grained Soils.- Volume change behaviour of cohesive soils.- Swelling Pressures and Wetting-Drying Curves of a Highly Compacted Bentonite-Sand Mixture.- Results and interpretation of bentonite resaturation experiments with liquid water and water vapour.- Mechanical Behaviour.- Shear strength of unsaturated bentonite buffer material.- Evaluation of Yielding in Unsaturated Clays Using an Automated Triaxial Apparatus with Controlled Suction.- A triaxial device for unsaturated sand NewDevelopments.- Undrained Isotropic Compression of Soil.- Hydro-mechanical behaviour of a clayey silt under isotropic compression.- The concept of apparent Compression Index.- Behaviour of unsaturated cohesive soils subjected to cyclic loads.- Remarks on consolidation in unsaturated soils from experimental results.- Prediction and modeling of tensile stresses and shrinkage.- Tensile Strength of Compacted Clays.- Fine Fissuring of Clay Fill Materials for Flood Defence Embankments.- Laboratory investigation of the virgin drying of the Corinth Marl.- Applications.- From experimental evidence towards the assessment of weather-related railway embankment hazards.- Large scale hill creep in cohesive sediments: A field and model study.- The effect of soil suction in stability of partially submerged slopes.- Effects of unsaturation on the stability of a moraine slope.- A large physical Mock-Up model for investigating engineered barriers.- Experimental testing and modelling of a Design for HLW Disposal through a Large Scale Mock-Up.