3 Review(s)

Interfaces exist in every geotechnical system in many forms and at multiple scales. Although historically, they are often considered to be the 'weak link' in a system, particularly as the result of a number of unexpected catastrophic failures, new insight gained over the past twenty years by researchers around the world has shown that it is possible to select combinations of materials and design an engineered interface so that it is 'at least as strong' as the surrounding materials. These new insights have been gained as a result of experimental study, numerical modeling and analytical investigation of successful and failed systems. While individual technical papers have been presented and/or published in various forums and proceedings over the years, no technical event has ever been convened for the sole purpose of allowing for exchange of information and ideas pertaining to geotechnical interfaces.The research symposium held in September 2008 in Atlanta Georgia, USA, in conjunction with the Fourth International Symposium on Deformation Characteristics of Geomaterials (IS Atlanta 2008) at the Georgia Institute of Technology on 'The Characterization and Behavior of Interfaces' addressed this deficiency and the papers presented at that event are contained in this publication.