Advances in unsaturated soils mechanics and technology in Brazil

Abstract

Unsaturated soils mechanics (USM) and unsaturated soils technology (UST) have been the subject of great interest to Brazilian researchers and practitioners since the inception of the Brazilian Association for Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering (ABMS). This is in great part due to the geotechnical challenges involving swelling and collapsible soils commonly found in the country and issues related to landslide risk assessment and management. Progressively, problems associated with civil infrastructure, transportation geotechnics, environmental geotechnics, and engineered mine tailings disposal systems have also drawn the attention of professionals dealing with unsaturated soils. This paper celebrates the 75th anniversary of ABMS by presenting a summary of some of the main advances produced by Brazilian academia and geotechnical practitioners, in the field of USM and UST. Fundamentals of unsaturated soil are discussed, in the context of some typical Brazilian soils, including issues regarding soil microstructure, soil-water retention, and unsaturated shear strength. Brazilian developments in terms of swelling and collapsible soil identification, testing, and modeling are explored. Finally, geotechnical and geoenvironmental applications are discussed, focusing on the main issues investigated in the past four decades.