Suitable for undergraduates in geotechnical engineering and for use by graduate students, this book explores not only the basics but also several advanced aspects of soil behaviour. Readers gain a good grasp of applied mechanics, testing and experimentation, and methods for observing real structures. Numerous worked examples are included, as is essential reading for students at the end of each chapter.Selected contents:1. Nature and composition of soils  2. Principles of continuum mechanics  3. Constitutive models  4. The porous medium  5. Mechanical behaviour of soils  6. Flow in porous media  7. In situ investigations  8. The collapse of soil structures  9. Performance and serviceability o