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Book review |
Ludlow UK
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The title not only delivers what it promises (to provide an introduction to geotechnical processes) but the text usefully includes commentary on the applicability of the various techniques and indicates where the reader can go to find out more. The selected bibliography is brief and perhaps a little dated, but the reference list contains most of the papers, which would be expected in such a work. However, there is little reference to the Internet and perhaps consideration could be given in a revised edition to the inclusion of web-based resources to supplement those more likely to be found in the library.
The focus of the book is on ground treatment and improvements to stabilize the ground, improve support and control settlement. Topics include the extraction and exclusion of water, compaction techniques, drilling and grouting. However, foundation construction such as piling is deliberately excluded (for which Tomlinson's classic book provides practical guidance), as is soil reinforcement using geofabrics.
The principle target readership is the Masters student who is not intending to specialize in foundation engineering but who nevertheless needs a concise overview of the processes and techniques available and their applicability. This book will also appeal to undergraduate civil engineers and to practitioners wishing to have an accessible text to hand.
The style of presentation follows the concise format employed by one the publisher's other popular books, Tony Waltham's ‘Foundations of Engineering Geology’ (Spon, 1994). Thus each topic covers a two-page spread that is stand alone, follows a consistent format (with
