✍ Scribed by Q. Záruba
No coin nor oath required. For personal study only.
The book is intended as a textbook of geotechnics, directed predominantly to the problems of soil and rock mechanics in the design and construction of earth structures. The monograph is primarily meant for students in civil, geological and mining engineering at a senior undergraduate-to-graduate level, who have a sufficient background knowledge of earth materials and earth mechanics.
The matter is dealt with in six chapters. The first chapter gives an overview of air photographic methods and their use in engineering-geological appraisal of land forms. The content is directed mainly to the geomorphological and Quaternary geological analysis of the Canadian terrains.
Chapter 2 provides relevant information on the soil mechanics and discusses the influence of ground water on earth structures and their incidental settlement.
The focus of the book is to be found in Chapters 3--5, which are devoted to the principles and procedures applied in designing earth structures of different types. Technological considerations of the realization of these structures receive only a cursory treatment. Successful performance and failures of many types of earth structure are reported and numerous references are provided for more detailed study.
Chapter 3 concerns the design and construction of embankments on soft ground and soft-ground tunnels. The relatively comprehensive Chapter 4 covers the problems of slope movements, including the stability analysis methods and various remedial measures. In the passage on slope strengthening one would welcome more details on the use of piles, underground walls and anchoring, which proved to be effective in slope reinforcement.
In Chapter 5, devoted to the earth dams, due attention is given to the design, foundation treatment and efficiency of grouting. A special paragraph deals with settlement of earth dams and their monitoring and maintenance. The often neglected problem of the structure of mine-tailing dams is also discussed. Chapter 6, on ground subsidence due to underground mining, appropriately complements the geotechnical content of the book.
The publication is well produced, the figures are instructive, we only regret that the reproduction of some photographs is not up to the mark. List of problems added to Chapters 4, 5 and 6 with solutions given at the end of the book contribute to its instructive value.
In general, it is a modern, well-written textbook, giving in a concise form a comprehensive survey of the most important geotechnical problems in the field of earth structures. It is to be recommended not only as a useful tool to advanced students but also to the practising specialists.
Q. Z/~RUBA (Prague)
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