Despite advances in the field of geotechnical earthquake engineering, earthquakes continue to cause loss of life and property in one part of the world or another. The Third International Conference on Soil Dynamics and Earthquake Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, USA, 22nd to 24th June 1987, provided an opportunity for participants from all over the world to share their expertise to enhance the role of mechanics and other disciplines as they relate to earthquake engineering. The edited proceedings of the conference are published in four volumes. This volume covers: Constitutive Relations in Soil Dynamics, Liquefaction of Soils, and Experimental Soil Dynamics. With its companion volumes, it is hoped that it will contribute to the further development of techniques, methods and innovative approaches in soil dynamics and earthquake engineering.

This comprehensive and carefully edited volume presents a variety of experimental methods used in Shock Waves research. In 14 self contained chapters this 9th volume of the “Shock Wave Science and Technology Reference Library” presents the experimental methods used in Shock Tubes, Shock Tunnels and Expansion Tubes facilities. Also described is their set-up and operation. The uses of an arc heated wind tunnel and a gun tunnel are also contained in this volume. Whenever possible, in addition to the technical description some typical scientific results obtained using such facilities are described. Additionally, this authoritative book includes techniques for measuring physical properties of blast waves and laser generated shock waves. Information about active shock wave laboratories at different locations around the world that are not described in the chapters herein is given in the Appendix, making this book useful for every researcher involved in shock/blast wave phenomena.