Geotechnical Risk and Safety V contains contributions presented at the 5th International Symposium on Geotechnical Safety and Risk (5th ISGSR, Rotterdam, 13-16 October 2015) which was organized under the auspices of the Geotechnical Safety Network (GEOSNet) and the following technical committees of the of the International Society of Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering (ISSGME): • TC304 Engineering Practice of Risk Assessment & Management • TC205 Safety and Serviceability in Geotechnical Design • TC212 Deep Foundations • TC302 Forensic Geotechnical Engineering Geotechnical Risk and Safety V covers seven themes: 1. Geotechnical Risk Management and Risk Communication 2. Variability in Ground Conditions and Site Investigation 3. Reliability and Risk Analysis of Geotechnical Structures 4. Limit-state design in Geotechnical Engineering 5. Assessment and Management of Natural Hazards 6. Contractual and Legal Issues of Foundation and (Under)Ground Works 7. Case Studies, Monitoring and Observational Method The 5th ISGSR is the continuation of a series of symposiums and workshops on geotechnical risk and reliability, starting with LSD2000 (Melbourne, Australia), IWS2002 (Tokyo and Kamakura, Japan), LSD2003 (Cambridge, USA), Georisk2004 (Bangalore, India), Taipei2006 (Taipei, Taiwan), the 1st ISGSR (Shanghai, China, 2007), the 2nd ISGSR (Gifu, Japan, 2009), the 3rd ISGSR (Munich, Germany, 2011) and the 4th ISGSR (Hong Kong, 2013).

In little over three weeks of intensive fighting, which not only witnessed the first British use of poison gas, but also the debut of New Army divisions filled with citizen volunteers, British forces at Loos managed to drive up to two miles into the German positions. However, they were unable to capitalise on their initial gains. After suffering nearly 60,000 casualties (three times the number suffered by their opponents) and being driven from the German lines in disorder, bitter recrimination followedNick Lloyd presents a reassessment of the Battle of Loos, arguing that it was vital to the development of new strategies and tactics. He places it within its political and strategic context, as well as discusses command and control and the tactical realities of war on the Western Front during 1915.