Standard Handbook for Civil Engineers (Handbook) [Hardcover]

Jonathan Ricketts (Author), M. Loftin (Author), Frederick Merritt (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 29, 2003 | ISBN-10: 0071364730 | ISBN-13: 978-0071364737 | Edition: 5

A revision of the classic reference covering all important principles and techniques needed by practicing civil engineers. The 5th Edition incorporates changes in design and construction practices, especially in design specifications for construction materials, buildings and bridges, safety and health concerns, and the most current codes changes including ACI, AISC, ASTM, NDS for wood structures, etc. The Handbook covers systems design, community and regional planning, the latest design methods for buildings, airports, highways, tunnels and bridges. It includes sections on construction equipment, construction management, materials, specifications, structural theory, geotechnical engineering, wood, concrete, steel design and construction. (20040601)

Editorial Reviews

Review

The fifth edition of this reference in civil engineering features coverage of recent code changes, including AIC, ASTM, and NDS for Wood Structures, and current EPA and OSHA regulations, plus expanded information on design build delivery systems and increased coverage of stormwater runoff. There is also new information on three-dimensional modeling of pile groups, cracking in high strength steel beams, intelligent transportation, and various types of wharf designs. Coverage encompasses fundamentals of civil engineering and the latest changes in design, construction, materials, and equipment in 23 different disciplines including systems design, geotechnical engineering, and community and regional planning. Ricketts is a consulting engineer. (Sci-Tech Book News )

From the Back Cover

IF CIVIL ENGINEERS COULD HAVE ONLY ONE REFERENCE BOOK – THIS WOULD BE IT

Here is THE definitive reference in civil engineering. Within the pages of this classic you'll find fingertip access to everything from the fundamentals of civil engineering to the latest changes in design, construction, materials, and equipment in 23 different disciplines including Systems Design, Geotechnical Engineering, and Community and Regional Planning.

This new, completely updated, and expanded Fifth Edition features:

* The most recent code changes, including AIC, AISC, ASTM, NDS for Wood Structures, and more
* Current EPA and OSHA regulations
* Additional information on design build delivery systems
* Increased coverage of stormwater runoff
* Over 700 tables, formulas, and drawings to make every explanation and procedure crystal clear
* Sections on construction management; materials specifications; structural theory; wood and concrete, steel design and construction; and much more
* The latest design methods for buildings, airports, highways, tunnels, and bridges

Turn to this one-stop review of the field for simplified solutions to the hundreds of practical problems you face in your day-to-day civil engineering practice.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 1600 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill Professional; 5 edition (December 29, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0071364730
• ISBN-13: 978-0071364737
• Product Dimensions: 9.7 x 7.4 x 2.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #177,210 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

36 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A civil engineer's review - this book is a good buy, July 22, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Standard Handbook for Civil Engineers (Hardcover)

The Standard Handbook for Civil Engineers is a comprehensive single volume book. This book is divided into 23 sections covering entire gamut of civil engineering. In first few chapters it deals with design management, specifications etc. These chapters are quite informative. It also describes various construction materials in a lucid form. But the chapter on structural theory should have more elaborately presented. Many aspects of advanced structures such as plate, shell etc. are not discussed. Finite element method is almost untouched. This book does not contain too many numerical examples. Rather it tells you how to take decision. For example, it tells you how to choose structural system for multistory building, but does not tell how to analyze the same. Geo-technical engineering section is also little bit concise. Concrete design section is good but a number of worked out problems would have made it better. Same goes for steel design section. Surveying was featured in very lackadaisically. Building engineering section is well written with very good general descriptions. Transportation, water resource and environment parts are also well covered. Coastal engineering is just touched. In overall this book is a good buy. But this book won't be much useful to all because it is written only in American code. What I dislike most about this book is that it is not written in metric units.

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars It's just a desk, of field, reference., August 23, 2005

By 

R. G. Thomas (Salmon, Idano, United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Standard Handbook for Civil Engineers (Handbook) (Hardcover)

I've read several other of the reviews, and feel the need to add a little to the conversation.

This book will not make you into an engineer if you don't have the foundation knowledge required. It is a desk reference, useful mainly for a quick review, of principles outside your primary area of engineering practice, when you need a quick refresher.

I am a degreed and licensed Civil Engineer, but I am primarily a Construction Engineer. I use this book to get myself back upto speed on topics that I haven't dealt with in a while, and to do field checks on designs I'm trying to build before I call the Design Engineer. I've got several hundred text books, and years worth of journals, and technical reports available in my office. They don't fit in my breifcase and travel to the field well. The handbook does.

I wouldn't rely on the knowledge contained in this book alone, to execute a design for any complex or critical project. I doubt that any competent professional would, or should.

All said, it is worth every penny you spend on it.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Still the best Civil Handbook, February 9, 2004

By 

bookology "bookology" (Studio City, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Standard Handbook for Civil Engineers (Handbook) (Hardcover)

The fifth edition update mainly reflects changes in code requirements for structural engineering. Other sections seem barely changed from the fourth edition. The water resources chapter has several misprinted tables. Use the corresponding tables out of the fourth edition.

Generalle well-written and easy to follow. Useful as a supplemental study reference for the Civil PE Exam.

Could use a good bibliography.