I have Lambe and Whitman - it is good. I have many others as well as do most geoengineers. However, if I were to be "stuck" with only one book, though, I would choose either Terzagphi Peck and Mesri (although I am more of a fan of the 1967 Terzaghi and Peck) or I would go with M.J. Tomlinson's book on Foundation Design and Construction. No question about it in my mind.
civeng80 - I can see your point in that Bowles does cover more structural aspects - but the OP was geared towards a good "soils mechanics" book. You should be mesmerized by T&P's graphics! No simple line drawings for them. For a more "pure" soil mechanics book, pick up Scott's book.
I am surprised no one mentioned "Foundation Design" Teng or the nearest comparison which has appeared more recently, "Foundations and Earth Structures" Budhu, 2007 Both are very good.
Lamb & Whitman is for every day use, but Mitchell's book is more for the micro Soil mechanics.
I have not got Tomlinson Foundation design and construction but have been thinking of getting it. Amazon does not have very good reviews for this book so Ive always been reluctant.
You say it is a good book for practising structural engineers?
As far as soil mechanics books are concerned I still would recommend Lambe and Whitman. Terzaghi and Peck is of course the supreme textbook assumed to be on every civil engineers Library. Mine unfortunately is now falling to bits although Ive used Bowles more often.
I'm quite surprised that Tomlinson's book(s) would get less than very good reviews. I find it a very good book. It will not show you how to design your steel - but he gives so many good case histories of real projects in his book - unlike Bowles which has, if I remember right, no case histories. Tomlinson goes into buoyant foundations, of course he is good on piles (he has a very good piling book) - he shows how to step footings on slopes. While he does give "equations" perhaps people are disappointed that his book is not full of differential equations and other fancy stuff that, for practicing engineers, mean squat. T&P (2nd Ed - 1967) doesn't have all that many equations either, but you can come to grips with your problems from it. I believe that Tomlnson's second to last edition (I think that the 6th edition is the latest) is a bit more appropriate for me - the latest touches a bit more on Eurocode - which, of course, is now a requirement in Europe. I have Teng's book in storage and yes, it is a good one as is Peck Hanson and Thornburn. I would, too, like to suggest Tschebotariof's book - and if you like some really good graphics and history, Krynine and Judd. I know this is a bit off topic of the original post - but I think that Tomlinson and T&P would be more useful than Lambe.
My critism of Bowles would be exactly that it has no case histories and also the recent edition seems to be more in computers rather than geotechnical engineering. A very commercially oriented textbook from Bowles who is now a computer consultant rather than Professor of geotechnical engineering.
I would much prefer using the 2nd edition.
I would prefer a more practical textbook since alot of my work is on the site and requires practical solutions.
Looks like Tomlinson (foundation design and construction) may join my Library soon.
