21 Best Books on Foundation Engineering

We have compiled a list of the Best Reference Books on Foundation Engineering, which are used by students of top universities, and colleges. This will help you choose the right book depending on if you are a beginner or an expert. Here is the complete list of Foundation Engineering Books with their authors, publishers, and an unbiased review of them as well as links to the Amazon website to directly purchase them. If permissible, you can also download the free PDF books on Foundation Engineering below.

1. Foundation Engineering

 
1."Modern Geotechnical Engineering" by A Singh
Book Review: This book features a dedicated chapter on soil engineering experiments, which provides a detailed description of laboratory tests commonly performed at the undergraduate level. The book covers a range of tests, including moisture content determination, specific gravity determination, particle size determination, consistency limits, permeability determination, consolidation tests, compaction tests, field density, and swelling pressure determination.

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2."Principles of Foundation Engineering" by B M Das
Book Review: This textbook maintains an ideal balance between current research and practical field applications, making it a highly sought-after resource in foundation engineering courses. It includes numerous worked-out examples and diagrams that are beneficial for students who possess strong theoretical and problem-solving skills. The book introduces fundamental concepts and foundation analysis design applications to civil engineering students, with an emphasis on applying theories and analysis correctly to soil evaluation, foundation design, and field experience. The author’s approach enables students to gain a comprehensive understanding of the subject matter and its real-world applications.

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3."Theory and Practice of Foundation Design" by N Som
“Theory and Practice of Foundation Design” Book Review: This book provides a clear and concise introduction to the fundamental concepts and principles of foundation design. It highlights the latest developments, practices, and foundations in the field. The book extensively covers pre-design and post-design methodologies such as soil identification, site investigation, design parameters, settlement analyses, and seismic response. The earthquake-resistant designs are explained in great detail. Additionally, the book features numerous ground improvement techniques to provide practical knowledge to the readers. It includes real-world problems, examples, and references to actual cases. This book is an ideal resource for undergraduate and postgraduate students of civil engineering.

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4."Advanced Foundation Engineering: Geotechnical Engineering Series" by V N S Murthy
“Advanced Foundation Engineering: Geotechnical Engineering Series” Book Review: This book provides comprehensive coverage of all the major aspects, concepts, and theories of foundation and geotechnical engineering. It discusses topics such as geotechnical properties of soil, soil exploration, shallow and deep foundations, cellular cofferdams, foundations on collapsible and expansive soil, braced-cuts and drainage, machine foundations, and soil improvement in great detail. The book presents various methodologies and techniques to solve problems related to foundation and geotechnical engineering. It will be useful for undergraduate and postgraduate students, practicing engineers, consultants, researchers, and professionals of geotechnical and foundation engineering. Additionally, it will benefit students preparing for GATE, UPSC, and other national selection entrance examinations.

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5."Foundation Engineering Handbook" by Hsai-Yang Fang
“Foundation Engineering Handbook” Book Review: This book features the latest advancements and modifications in the area of geotechnical and foundation engineering. It emphasizes the most recent applications of foundation engineering and offers innovative construction designs and techniques to overcome challenges such as soil deposits. The book presents contemporary concepts, construction materials, methods, and equipment. It also includes cost-saving approaches to engineering problems. This book is an ideal resource for researchers, engineers, and students who want to learn about the latest developments in geotechnical and foundation engineering.

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6."FOUNDATION ENGINEERING" by P C Varghese
“Foundation Engineering” Book Review: This comprehensive book on foundation engineering is suitable for both undergraduate and postgraduate students of civil engineering as well as practicing engineers. It covers all aspects of the subject, from the properties of soil to the construction of various buildings and structures. The book is based on codes prescribed by the Bureau of Indian standards and features both fundamentals and in-depth analysis of foundation engineering. Topics covered include stress distribution in soils, load carrying capacity of piles, raft foundations, and lateral earth pressure on rigid walls. The book also covers ground improvement techniques, site and soil investigation reports, and more.

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7."Textbook of Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering: Geotechnical Engineering" by Murthy VNS
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8."Soil Mechanics And Foundation Engineering" by K R Arora
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9."Foundation Design: Principles and Practices" by Coduto
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10."Essentials of Soil Mechanics and Foundations: Basic Geotechnics" by McCarthy
“Essentials of Soil Mechanics and Foundations: Basic Geotechnics” Book Review: This book provides a comprehensive account of the fundamental principles, theory and engineering properties of soil mechanics, as well as the design and construction of pile foundations and soil permeability. A new chapter on earthquakes has been included in the book. The content is supported by examples, exercises, and detailed explanations. The book emphasizes the practical application of soil mechanics across various domains. It is a valuable resource for students in engineering, architecture and construction, as well as for practicing engineers, architects, geologists, and environmental specialists.

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11."Analytical and Computer Methods in Foundation Engineering" by J E Bowles
Book Review: The textbook is ideal for senior-level courses in foundation analysis and design. It comes with an IBM disk that includes various programs for analyzing pile groups and demonstrating lateral pile analysis procedures. The book covers the analysis of bearing capacity under both horizontal and vertical loads, using the uniform linear pressure concept to ensure bearing capacity. Additionally, the book emphasizes the use of geotextiles for retaining walls and soil nailing, providing practical applications for students.

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2. Difficult Ground, Deep and Shallow Foundations Design

 
1."Foundation Engineering in Difficult Ground" by Fred Bell and F G Bell
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2."Artificial Arithmetick in Decimals Shewing the Originall, Ground and Foundation Thereof, with the Quintessence of the Golden Rule, the True Valuation" by Robert Jager
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3."Design and Performance of Deep Foundations: Piles and Piers in Soil and Soft Rock" by Priscilla P Nelson and Trevor D Smith
“Design and Performance of Deep Foundations: Piles and Piers in Soil and Soft Rock” Book Review: This book is a comprehensive guide to numerical analysis, field tests and laboratory testing programs in civil engineering. It covers recent developments in deep foundations, driven piles, drilled piers, onshore and offshore, and soft rock. The book includes information on the field behaviour of pile groups and the construction of drilled shaft foundations. It also features the installation of driven piles. This book is an essential resource for civil engineering students and professionals who want to stay up-to-date with the latest advancements in deep foundations and related topics.

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4."Deep Foundation Improvements: Design, Construction and Testing" by Bachus and Esrig
“Deep Foundation Improvements: Design, Construction and Testing” Book Review: This an informative textbook for civil engineering students and professionals. The book consists of 13 chapters which cover various topics such as soil improvement methods, pile foundations, soil mixing, jet grouting, and geosynthetic reinforcement. Other topics include quality control and testing of deep foundation improvements, instrumentation, and monitoring. The book provides practical guidance, case studies, and design examples to aid readers in their understanding of deep foundation improvements.

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5."Load Testing Deep Foundations: The Planning, Design and Conduct of Pile Load Tests" by Carroll L Crowther
“Load Testing Deep Foundations: The Planning, Design and Conduct of Pile Load Tests” Book Review: The book presents planning and deep testing, along with practical information, and covers all types of foundations, including driven or augered piles, caissons, and drilled piers. It also includes ASTM standards on load testing piles, excerpts from major American building codes, and extensive annotations.

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6."Analysis and Design of Shallow and Deep Foundations" by Lymon C Reese and William M Isenhower
“Analysis and Design of Shallow and Deep Foundations” Book Review: This book provides a comprehensive overview of foundation analysis and engineering principles. It covers the design of both shallow and deep, load-bearing foundations for a range of building and structural types, with a focus on computer-aided analysis and soil-structure interaction. The book also considers foundations as deformable bodies, and covers soil investigations and loading analysis. It includes major types of foundations and construction methods, and features computer-assisted analytical methods with site visits and engineering geology. The book provides methods of computing, field testing, case studies, and projects, with a CD-ROM featuring demonstration versions of analytical geotechnical software.

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7."Design of Shallow Foundations" by Samuel E French
“Design of Shallow Foundations” Book Review: This book provides a comprehensive guide on designing shallow foundations for low-rise structures in accordance with building codes. It delves into the presentation of soils and structures in detail and emphasizes soil-structure interaction to design foundations that can support soil conditions. The book is appropriate for students and professionals in architecture, construction, engineering technology, and civil engineering. It serves as a practical guide for designing shallow foundations and can be a valuable resource for both beginners and experts in the field.

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8."Introduction to Soil Mechanics and Shallow Foundations Design" by Samuel E French
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9."Settlement of Shallow Foundations on Cohesionless Soils: Design and Performance" by W O Martin
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10."Advanced Foundation Design" by Gaur R
“Advanced Foundation Design” Book Review: The target audience of this book is civil engineering students at Mahamaya Technical University. The book covers topics such as vertical pressure under surface loads and the bearing capacity of soils. It also provides a comprehensive discussion on pile foundations, well foundations, and machine foundations, along with the design considerations for foundations on expansive soils and the stability of slopes.

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We have put a lot of effort into researching the best books on Foundation Engineering and came out with a recommended list and their reviews. If any more book needs to be added to this list, please email us. We are working on free pdf downloads for books on Foundation Engineering and will publish the download link here. Fill out this Foundation Engineering books pdf download" request form for download notification.

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