Review of The Civil Engineering Handbook edited by W. F. Chen and J. Y. Richard Liew

Abstract

First published in 1995, The Civil Engineering Handbook became a complete and authoritative reference. This second edition provides a revised and updated reference work and resource book for civil engineers. More than one-third of the handbook is new or substantially revised. It has an increased focus on computing to reflect the rapid advances in computer technology that revolutionized many aspects of civil engineering. It has been written for practicing engineers, and the ideal reader targeted is at the level of a BS and MS degree. The handbook stresses professional applications with emphasis on ready-to-use material. It contains many formulas, tables, and about 1,200 illustrations that give immediate solutions to common civil engineering problems. It also contains the essential elements of each subject for the reader to understand the underlying background and fundamentals. Both wellestablished and innovative practices are covered. The handbook is organized into eight sections covering the traditional areas of civil engineering: construction engineering, materials engineering, environmental engineering, structural engineering, geotechnical engineering, surveying engineering, hydraulic engineering, and transportation engineering. The chapters of the handbook have been written by many authors, mostly from Purdue University and the National University of Singapore. This handbook is massive and impressive. It is the kind of work one may start reading as a student and finish understanding upon retirement. It is so comprehensive that it is essentially impossible to write anything but a cursory review. What this text does so well is to cover all the main fields of the undergraduate civil engineering curriculum. It is fairly thorough and complete. The illustrations are indeed very good and useful. The material has been written very concisely and to the point, with the practitioner in mind. In my opinion, the main value of this handbook to hydraulic engineers is to have the possibility to brush up on knowledge in all other fields of civil engineering besides individual specialty areas. To hydraulic engineers, it contains a real