Page 10 - Handbook of Civil Engineering Calculations, Second Edition

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one-off-type calculations are needed, most civil engineers today turn to their electronic calculator, desktop, or
laptop computer and perform the necessary steps to obtain the solution desired. But where repetitive
calculations are required, a purchased computer program will save time and energy in the usual medium-size
or large civil-engineering design office. Small civil-engineering offices generally resort to manual calculation
for even repetitive procedures because the investment for one or more major calculation programs is difficult
to justify in economic terms.
Even when purchased computer programs are extensively used, careful civil engineers still insist on
manually checking results on a random basis to be certain the program is accurate. This checking can be
speeded by any of the calculation procedures given in this handbook. Many civil engineers remark to the
author that they feel safer, knowing they have manually verified the computer results on a spot-check basis.
With liability for civil-engineering designs extending beyond the lifetime of the designer, every civil engineer
seeks the “security blanket’’ provided by manual verification of the results furnished by a computer program
run on a desktop, laptop, or workstation computer. This handbook gives the tools needed for manual
verification of some 2,000 civil-engineering calculation procedures.
Each section in this handbook is written by one or more experienced professional engineers who is a
specialist in the field covered. The contributors draw on their wide experience in their field to give each
calculation procedure an in-depth coverage of its topic. So the person using the procedure gets step-by-step
instructions for making the calculation plus background information on the subject that is the topic of the
procedure.
And because the handbook is designed for worldwide use, both earlier, and more modern, topics are
covered. For example, the handbook includes concise coverage of riveted girders, columns, and connections.
While today’s civil engineer may say that riveted construction is a method long past its prime, there are
millions of existing structures worldwide that were built using rivets. So when a civil engineer is called on to
expand, rehabilitate, or tear down such a structure, he or she must be able to analyze the riveted portions of
the structure. This handbook provides that capability in a convenient and concise form.
In the realm of modern design techniques, the load and resistance factor method (LRFD) is covered with
more than ten calculation procedures showing its use in various design situations. The LRFD method is
ultimately expected to replace the well-known and widely used allowable stress design (ASD) method for
structural steel building frameworks. In today’s design world many civil engineers are learning the advantages
of the LRFD method and growing to prefer it over the ASD method.
Also included in this handbook is a comprehensive section titled “How to Use This Handbook.” It details
the variety of ways a civil engineer can use this handbook in his or her daily engineering work. Included as
part of this section are steps showing the civil engineer how to construct a private list of SI conversion factors
for the specific work the engineer specializes in.
The step-by-step practical and applied calculation procedures in this handbook are arranged so they can be
followed by anyone with an engineering or scientific background. Each worked-out procedure presents fully
explained and illustrated steps for solving similar problems in civil-engineering design, research, field,
academic, or license-examination situations. For any applied problem, all the civil engineer need do is place
his or her calculation sheets alongside this handbook and follow the step-by-step procedure line for line to
obtain the desired solution for the actual real-life problem. By following the calculation procedures in this
handbook, the civil engineer, scientist, or technician will obtain accurate results in minimum time with least
effort. And the approaches and solutions presented are modern throughout.
The editor hopes this handbook is helpful to civil engineers worldwide. If the handbook user finds
procedures that belong in the book but have been left out, the editor urges