Collapsing engineering soils are a formidable hazard around the world. These difficult materials also include some of the world’s most fertile agricultural soils, fostering dense human populations which are therefore increasingly important. Past earth surface conditions have a direct influence on the detailed behaviour of collapsible soils: as a complement, these materials also provide detailed data on changing global climates. The selected papers presented here highlight the common ground between three scientific groups with a vested interest in a better understanding of collapsible soils.