This thesis presents a study related to two important aspects of unsaturated soil mechanics: a physical-hydric-structural charaterization and the effects of increase of air pressure on the strength of unsaturated tropical soils from Rio de Janeiro. The first contribution exhibits an extensive experimental program aiming to evaluate effcts of physical, chemical, mineralogical and soil structure in the mechanical, hydraulic and deformability characteristics of the soils. The second contribution, related to the effects of increase of air pressure, was performed through constant water content triaxial tests with measurements of shear wave velocities. In order to achieve this last objective, an unsaturated triaxial apparatus with bender elements was implemented. The tests were carried out on undisturbed and reconstituted samples, with the same moisture content and void ratio, in two young residual soils and a colluvial soil from Nova Friburgo and Tinguá, RJ. The results showed that although some soils had similar physical characteristics, they had different mechanical, hydraulic and structural behaviors. Regarding the unsaturated triaxial tests, it was not possible to observe a characteristic and conclusive behavior of the effect of increase of air pressure in soils. The individual evaluation in each sample studied indicated that, for most tests, the increase in air pressure caused decrease in shear wave velocities (Vs).