Customer Reviews

Design, Volume 1, Data Book for Civil Engineers, 3rd Edition

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Don't be fooled by the date (May 1996) in the book's description. This book was last updated in 1959. It, therefore, does not reflect the requirements of any modern building codes or take advantage of any of the latest research. For instance, the referenced ACI code is dated 1947, AASHO 1949, etc. The book still has a lot of practical information and historical significance but will require care in its use.

This is a collection of years of work detailed by a civil engineer dealing with many types of materials and projects. His formulas and charts are well documented with an excellent index. Great for structural and general civil engineering type of work.

I began using Design in 1968 when I was in the USAF as a Civil Engineer. The wealth of information compiled by Mr. Seelye is staggering. Even though some of the materials are archaic, the formulae are timeless. I find the tables and nomographs particularly useful for quickly checking the work of my consultants. I've found it useful and I'm sure any Civil Engineer will as well. It would make a great graduation gift for your favorite CE. Computers will need upgrading but this book won't.

I bought Seelye's book on design in 1971. I am sure that it has gone through some updates since, but for the last three decades it has been a ready source of quick usefull and practical engineering data. Granted, an in depth design problem will require other references and checks of current codes, but there is plenty in Seelye's book to find a direction and to solve "shirtsleeve" problems.

One problem that I do have with the book that I bought is that several pages are blank. The blank pages are scattered throughout the book. I don't know if this was a publishers error or something intentional that was left out. The table of contents lists information that is supposed to be on these pages, so I suspect it is a bad book.

All in all, it is a worthwhile investment, even if I did pay $26.50 29 years ago.

My father who was an engineer, pointed out this boodk for me as a reference for quick fix designs. That is how it helped me as an engineer since I myself graduated 1962 from the American University in Beirut. I strongly recommend it especially for construction site engineers.Its contents might be outdated in some ways, nevertheless it remains a handy tool when an engineer is asked to provide on the spot construction designs and details.