Books on foundation engineering: which is the real "Bible"? 2

[Mccoy]

If I asked you guys about the best, more complete and useful book on foundation engineering, which would be your answer?

Bowles, Foundation analysis and design seems to me a candidate to the "Bible"
Fang, Foundation Engineering Handbook looks good as well
They say Das is a recent candidate (which one?, got to read that)

Lists of preferences are welcome, I would like to deepen my knowledge of the field but it's not always easy to pick the right material

thanks for your opinions

 

[Ginger]

In the UK most engineers appear to carry a copy of Foundation Engineering by MJ Tomlinson

Other popular titles are:-

Soil Mechanics - RF Craig
The Ground Rngineer's Reference Book - Bell

Don't foget of course he Godfathers - Terzaghi & Peck !!!!!!

There are several undergraduate titles which engineers tend to refer back to when practicing professionally so it is a bit "horses for courses"

Regards
Andy Machon

 

[Sean2]

Don't forget the great benefit of what your geotechnical colleagues can teach you directly. Other non-geotechnical engineers often have interesting experience of geotechnical problems and their solution.

You should subscribe to appropriate journals/magazines AND READ THEM to keep up to date with developments and current problems.

Consider:

Quarterly Journal of Engineering Geology

Ground Engineering

Géotechnique

Tunnels & Tunnelling

ASCE journals/proceedings

I will probably think of more journals after I send this, but I expect you have the idea already. --Good luck.

 

[Qshake]

Just a note of preference (not to compete with the other very sound advice):

I've used and had sastifactory results with Das' Foundation Engineering as a practical reference.

However, when addressing numerical analysis applied to foundations, I've found Bowles to be a indespensible reference.

So, depending what you're looking for practical or academic those are my references (which by the way are only a short grab from computer).

 

[haagmonster]

Be extremely careful using Das' "Principles of Foundation Engineering" (3rd ed) - it's full of typo's - I can't believe that it was published that way.

 

[dicksewerrat]

I thought Tergazhi(sp) was God and he had Bowles write the bible for him.

Richard A. Cornelius, P.E.

http://WWW.amlinereast.com

 

[BigH]

Threre is no question in my mind - the Bible of geotechnical engineering is Terzaghi and Peck's 2nd Edition (1967) - not the latest. If one could have only one reference on real engineering this would be it.

The wanna-be's would be Tomlinson's Foundation Book (excellent), Tschebotarioff's Foundation book (1974), Peck Hansen and Thornburn's Foundation book and Leonard's Foundation Engineering handbook would be my next choices as sub-bibles.

There are many many other books - Craig, Teng, Fang's Handbook - lots of Indian books as well. I've had Bowles since 1975's 2nd Edition through 5th Edition. I've seen Das. These are tomes that a packed full - no question. The bible, though, is the first book; these are cousins; are quite useful as study-guides, but once the bible - always the bible!! Bowles and Das are only re-interpretations!

 

[jdonville]

McCoy,

Who says engineers have no religion?!

In addition to printed matter, I currently keep in excess of 1 GB of spreadsheets, PDFs, notes in text/Word files and other reference materials (the collection keeps growing as I find or am directed to more material).

Naturally, some works are very good for particular applications, but are not as useful for others. It is impossible for a single author to be authoritative and unsurpassed in all areas of our discipline. I don't think that any one source can be called the best, let alone the 'Bible', especially as the state of practice in foundation engineering continues to evolve.

Jeff


Jeffrey T. Donville, PE
TTL Associates, Inc.

http://www.ttlassoc.com

 

[BigH]

jdonville - you can add to the bible but the bible is still THE BIBLE! - the FIRST book. To me, T&P will always be "buku kudus". I use the others but . . .

 

[DRC1]

Everyone should be familiar with Terzaghi, But science has moved on from that, and Karl would have been diapointed if it did not. Boweles is a good overview and how to for a lot of practical everyday geotech problems. I like Fang (as a former student, I may be a bit partial)
I have recently discovered the Canadian Foundation Manual. It is really a great reference, and I am not even Canadian.
It is available from Bitech publishers.

 

[BigH]

DRC1 - you are correct. The art of geotechnical engineering has moved on and is getting more scientific by the year although the art is there. Terzaghi surely would agree - I'd like Ralph Pecks point of view though! The advancements are what will drive the engineers of today, but won't take away the bible. Sadly, I feel that far too few geotechs coming on stream are woefully lacking in the works of the pioneers. As I've said before, I personally find the original works of the pioneers to better illustrate the thought process of geotechnical engineering; forgetting this, geotechnical engineering may, sadly, become more like cookbook (oops, code book). I guess it is a generation thing.

 

[eric1037]

Has anyone checked out the new "Analysis and Design of Shallow and Deep Foundations" by Lymon C. Reese and Shin-Tower Wang?

It looks interesting.

 

[SCGeo]

I use Sowers' "Soil Mechanics and Foundations" constantly. I would recommend this and many other of his publications for those working in the southeastern US, especially with regard to Piedmont soils.