Divided into four parts, this work presents integrated studies and regional and case studies, and covers environmental constraints and effects, and the behaviour of earth masses.

This text looks at mine planning and equipment and covers topics such as: design and planning of surface and underground mines; geotechnical stability in surface and underground mines; and mining and the environment.

An integrated approach to environmental data management is necessitated by the complexity of the environmental problems that need to be addresses, coupled with the interdisciplinary approach that needs to be adopted to solve them. Agenda 21 of the Rio Environmental Conference mandated international programmes and organizations to take steps to develop common data and information management plans, and steps have been taken in this direction. The key word that defines the framework of the present book is `integration'. The book establishes the basics of integrated approaches and covers environmental data management systems within that framework, covering all aspects of data management, from objectives and constraints, design of data collection networks, statistical and physical sampling, remote sensing and GIS, databases, reliability of data, data analysis, and the transformation of data into information.

The diverse nature of environmental problems mankind has encountered within the last decade has developed a new understanding of the nature of environmental processes. Currently, the environment is considered as a continuum of air, soil and water as the vital components for sustaining life on earth. The interactive nature of these components requires that the environment is managed and protected as a cohesive whole. This can only be accomplished through an integrated approach to environmental management. Besides the concept of environmental continuum, prospects for sustainable development of natural resources and the recent recognition of global climate change impacts have also necessitated such an integrated approach to environmental management. Two basic tools for integrated management of the environment are modeling and environmental data. Both tools were available and valid in the past; however, the recent requirements for integrated environmental management have also led to a significant evolution of both modeling procedures and data management systems.

In recent years, the adequacy of collected water quality data and the performance of existing monitoring networks have been seriously evaluated for two basic reasons. First, an efficient information system is required to satisfy the needs of water quality management plans and to aid in the decision-making process. Second, this system has to be realized under the constraints of limited financial resources, sampling and analysis facilities, and manpower. Problems observed in available data and shortcomings of current networks have led researchers to focus more critically on the design procedures used. The book is intended to present an up-to-date overview of the current network design procedures and develop basic guidelines to be followed in both the design and the redesign of water quality monitoring networks. The book treats the network design problem in a comprehensive and systematic framework, starting with objectives of monitoring and elaborating on various technical design features, e.g. selection of sampling sites, sampling frequencies, variables to be monitored, and sampling duration. The design procedures presented are those that the authors have recently applied in a number of national and international projects on the design and redesign of water quality monitoring networks. Thus, the book covers real case studies where not only the methods described in the earlier titles are used but also new techniques are introduced. Where earlier methods are used, they are assessed with respect to their efficiency and applicability to real case problems. Audience: Essentially, the framework adopted in the book applies as well to other hydrometric data collection networks besides those of water quality. In this respect, it is expected that planners, designers, scientists, and engineers who are involved in hydrometric network design will benefit from the in-depth approach assumed in this book. It will also be of interest to research and data centers, international programs and organizations related to environmental monitoring. The book may also be used as a reference text in graduate courses of water resources and environmental engineering programs.

Freshly updated and extended version of Slope Analysis (Chowdhury, Elsevier, 1978). This reference book gives a complete overview of the developments in slope engineering in the last 30 years. Its multi-disciplinary, critical approach and the chapters devoted to seismic effects and probabilistic approaches and reliability analyses, reflect the distinctive style of the original. Subjects discussed are: the understanding of slope performance, mechanisms of instability, requirements for modeling and analysis, and new techniques for observation and modeling. Special attention is paid to the relation with the increasing frequency and consequences of natural and man-made hazards. Strategies and methods for assessing landslide susceptibility, hazard and risk are also explored. Moreover, the relevance of geotechnical analysis of slopes in the context of climate change scenarios is discussed. All theory is supported by numerous examples. ''...A wonderful book on Slope Stability....recommended as a refernence book to those who are associated with the geotechnical engineering profession (undergraduates, post graduates and consulting engineers)...'' Prof. Devendra Narain Singh, Indian Inst. of Technology, Mumbai, India ''I have yet to see a book that excels the range and depth of Geotechnical Slope Analysis... I have failed to find a topic which is not covered and that makes the book almost a single window outlet for the whole range of readership from students to experts and from theoreticians to practicing engineers...'' Prof. R.K. Bhandari, New Delhi, India

"Describes the application of statistical methods in different environmental fields, with an emphasis on how to solve real-world problems in complex systems"--Provided by publisher.

The definitive guide to unsaturated soil— from the world's experts on the subject This book builds upon and substantially updates Fredlund and Rahardjo's publication, Soil Mechanics for Unsaturated Soils, the current standard in the field of unsaturated soils. It provides readers with more thorough coverage of the state of the art of unsaturated soil behavior and better reflects the manner in which practical unsaturated soil engineering problems are solved. Retaining the fundamental physics of unsaturated soil behavior presented in the earlier book, this new publication places greater emphasis on the importance of the "soil-water characteristic curve" in solving practical engineering problems, as well as the quantification of thermal and moisture boundary conditions based on the use of weather data. Topics covered include: Theory to Practice of Unsaturated Soil Mechanics Nature and Phase Properties of Unsaturated Soil State Variables for Unsaturated Soils Measurement and Estimation of State Variables Soil-Water Characteristic Curves for Unsaturated Soils Ground Surface Moisture Flux Boundary Conditions Theory of Water Flow through Unsaturated Soils Solving Saturated/Unsaturated Water Flow Problems Air Flow through Unsaturated Soils Heat Flow Analysis for Unsaturated Soils Shear Strength of Unsaturated Soils Shear Strength Applications in Plastic and Limit Equilibrium Stress-Deformation Analysis for Unsaturated Soils Solving Stress-Deformation Problems with Unsaturated Soils Compressibility and Pore Pressure Parameters Consolidation and Swelling Processes in Unsaturated Soils Unsaturated Soil Mechanics in Engineering Practice is essential reading for geotechnical engineers, civil engineers, and undergraduate- and graduate-level civil engineering students with a focus on soil mechanics.

The NUMGE98 Conference brought together senior and young researchers, scientists and practicing engineers from European and overseas countries, to share their knowledge and experience on the various aspects of the analysis of Geotechnical Problems through Numerical Methods. The papers address a broad spectrum of geotechnical problems, including tunnels and underground openings, shallow and deep foundations, slope stability, seepage and consolidation, partially saturated soils, geothermal effects, constitutive modelling, etc.