Customer Reviews

Standard Handbook for Civil Engineers (Handbook)

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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.

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.

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.

I'm a senior in CE this year and I have been using the 2nd edition of this book (1976) more or less daily as I work on my senior design projects. Not really in depth on any one subject, but its great if you just need to look up a formula or technique that you forgot from some class. I plan to ask for the new edition as a graduation present.

This handbook is a good reference to have around. It has quite a few sections and explains things that an engineer may have forgotten pretty well.

I found it most complete reference for civil engineers ,I always carry this book in my travels ,I found it complete in this fields: safety and health concerns, and the most current codes changes including ACI, AISC, ASTM,
and you find powerfull data in covers systems design, community and regional planning, the latest design methods for buildings, airports, highways, tunnels and bridges. It includes sections

what do you want else ,buy it and carry all knowlege you can have.

The Standard Handbook is a comprehensive single volume book. This book is divided into sections covering the entire civil engineering. In first few chapters it deals with specifications etc. It also describes various construction materials. In General this book is a good buy.

at the beginning i was very skeptical about what to expect from this manual but when it reached my door steps i was amazed specially that i have bought another heavy thick reference but with NO real benefit , however i recommend this COMPANION to every Civil Engineer out there whether he is applying for P.E Exam or indeed as an aid through his / her Practical life .