What is happening?
The liquefaction is one of the most interesting, complex, but also more destructive phenomena that can occur in soils, so it is very important to know the conditions that can trigger it, which are studied by geotechnical civil engineers.
Liquefaction occurs in loose and saturated soils subjected to rapid loads and terrain oscillations, such as earthquakes, explosions and even during crimping piles. As a consequence of these actions, the water pressure in the soil increases, not allowing the solid particles to remain in contact, reducing the interparticle forces until the effective stresses are canceled out. Since the soil resistance is directly dependent on the effective stresses, when they are cancelled displacements and open cracks take place, which may lead to the collapse of buildings, infrastructures and bridges, breaking of embankment dams and natural slopes.

Where can they be found?
Take down of residential buildings due to failure of foundations being caused by the phenomenon of liquefaction. Water and sand eruptions on the surface result from the liquefaction of the soil in depth.

What is happening?
The cables compress the parts so that they do not crack by traction.
The cables introduce compressive stresses that reduce the deformation under vertical loads.

Where?
Cantilever bridge and prestressed beam.

What is happening?
Gravity moves water in pipes throughout the building. After use, the wastewater is directed to the drainage network
that exists in the nearby street.

Where?
Wastewater and Rainwater drainage systems and water supply network.

What is happening?
The materials that make up the building’s envelope (walls, spans, roof and floors) must be characterized by:
– Load Bearing (user loads, furniture, wind, earthquakes, etc.);
– Waterproof (preventing rainwater from entering);
– Heat and cold insulator (maintaining temperature and interior comfort);
– Soundproof (avoiding the annoyance of outside noises or the neighbourhood);
– Shock absorbent, fire action, among others.

Where?
Buildings in general: dwellings, hospitals, schools, industries, etc.

What is happening?
The generator transfers mechanical energy to the water which gains kinetic and potential energy causing the waves
to move.

Where?
Beaches

A hands-on AR sandbox combined with 3D visualization applications created by researchers at Aristotels university.
Mould the sand by hand and the landscape comes to life! The sand is augmented with an elevation colour map, topographic contour lines, and design different applications simulating the ground structure and the flow of water.
Materials:
A computer with a high-end graphics card.
A Microsoft Kinect 3D camera.
The AR Sandbox software.
A digital video projector with a digital video interface, such as HDMI, DVI, or DisplayPort.
A sandbox with a way to mount the Kinect camera and the projector above the sandbox.
Natural Sand.