Page 8 - Handbook of Civil Engineering Calculations, Second Edition

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PREFACE

This handbook presents a comprehensive collection of civil engineering calculation procedures useful to
practicing civil engineers, surveyors, structural designers, drafters, candidates for professional engineering
licenses, and students. Engineers in other disciplines—mechanical, electrical, chemical, environmental,
etc.—will also find this handbook useful for making occasional calculations outside their normal field of
specialty.
Each calculation procedure presented in this handbook gives numbered steps for performing the calculation,
along with a numerical example illustrating the important concepts in the procedure. Many procedures include
“Related Calculations” comments, which expand the application of the computation method presented. All
calculation procedures in this handbook use both the USCS (United States Customary System) and the SI
(System International) for numerical units. Hence, the calculation procedures presented are useful to engineers
throughout the world.
Major calculation procedures presented in this handbook include stress and strain, flexural analysis,
deflection of beams, statically indeterminate structures, steel beams and columns, riveted and welded
connections, composite members, plate girders, load and resistance factor design method (LRFD) for
structural steel design, plastic design of steel structures, reinforced and prestressed concrete engineering and
design, surveying, route design, highway bridges, timber engineering, soil mechanics, fluid mechanics, pumps,
piping, water supply and water treatment, wastewater treatment and disposal, hydro power, and engineering
economics.
Each section of this handbook is designed to furnish comprehensive coverage of the topics in it. Where
there are major subtopics within a section, the section is divided into parts to permit in-depth coverage of each
subtopic.
Civil engineers design buildings, bridges, highways, airports, water supply, sewage treatment, and a variety
of other key structures and facilities throughout the world. Because of the importance of such structures and
facilities to the civilized world, civil engineers have long needed a handbook that would simplify and speed
their daily design calculations. This handbook provides an answer to that need.
Since the first edition of this handbook was published in 2000, there have been major changes in the field of
civil engineering. These changes include:
• Anti-terrorism construction features to protect large buildings structurally against catastrophes such as
occurred at New York’s World Trade Center on 9/11/01.
• Increased security features are now included for all major buildings to which the public has access. The
increased security is to prevent internal sabotage and terrorism that might endanger occupants and the
structure.
• Building Code changes can be expected as a result of the terror attacks in New York and in other cities
around the world. These changes will alter design procedures civil engineers have been following for many
years.
• Structural designs to thwart terrorism attempts are being studied by the American Society of Civil
Engineers, National Institute of Standards and Technology, American Concrete Institute International,
American Institute of Steel Construction, American Society of Plumbing Engineers, American Welding
Society, Concrete Reinforcing