A new Centre on the University's West Cambridge site will give architects and engineers vital information about whether or not they are planning to build on shaky ground.

Knowing how ground might change form during an earthquake; whether it will collapse if a tunnel is built through it; or whether innovative foundation solutions are appropriate, is crucial in planning major civil engineering projects.

This area of science, called geotechnical engineering, involves studying the behaviour of soils and rocks under certain conditions, and then applying that knowledge to civil engineering design and construction.

The new Centre for Geotechnical Process and Construction Modelling will allow engineers to carry out extensive geotechnical research both on planned industrial projects and at purely theoretical levels.

Professor Robert Mair, Professor of Geotechnical Engineering, is Head of the Geotechnical Research Group.

"The Geotechnical Research Group at Cambridge is one of the biggest and most prestigious of its kind in the world," he said. "This new Centre will put us in an excellent position to investigate, explain and solve many vital problems facing engineers."

Designed by Cambridge architects, Annand and Mustoe, the two-storey building is made up of a steel frame clad with timber and metal. It is funded by a

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