A knowledge of soil motions resulting from nuclear explosions is necessary for the design of underground structures which are to survive a nuclear attack. In this project the authors studied wave propagation in soil and developed methods for predicting wave propagation phenomena based on data from laboratory compression tests on soil samples. The study was restricted to one-dimensional wave propagation in a sand and a clay. Extensive wave propagation tests were made on 5-meter columns of Monterey sand of various densities subjected to transient loads of different intensities and duration. Stresses and particle velocities were measured at various locations in the column to test the validity of theoretical models representing sand. The main feature of stress wave propagation--stress attenuation--can be predicted for sand on the basis of a rate-independent model. In addition, wave front development, wave velocity, particle velocity attenuation, and duration of the stress wave are described qualitatively by this model in combination with a second rate-independent model. The parameters of the models can be determined from static or dynamic compression test data on small samples of sand. (Author).