Book Description

Soils would not exist without the complex and heterogeneous activities of microorganisms. For the third volume of Soil Biology, an international board of renowned scientists shed light on the significant role of these organisms. The following key topics are covered: Microorganisms in bioerosion, humification, mineralization and soil aggregation; Microbial energetics and microbes in biogeochemical processes such as carbon and nitrogen cycles and phosphorus bio-availability; Interactions in the mycorrhizosphere, e.g. between mycorrhizal fungi and bacteria; Impact of microbes on plant nutrient cycling and the possible effects of transgenic rhizospheres on soil fungi; Functions of microbes in specific soil compartments such as soil surface or toxic metal polluted soils; Regulation of microbial activities in functional domains that are influenced by biotic or abiotic factors; Use of marker genes and isotopes as examples for modern techniques in soil microbiology.

Book Description

1G-9, 0-13-094117-4, Sylvia, David M., Fuhrmann, Jeffry J., Hartel, Peter G., Zuberer, David A., Principles and Applications of Soil Microbiology, 2/E*/Written by leading experts in their respective fields, this comprehensive, balanced introduction to soil microbiology captures the rapid advances in the study of soil microbiology—e.g., habitats and organisms, microbially mediated transformation, and applied environmental topics. Carefully edited for ease of reading, it aids users by providing an excellent multi-authored reference, the type of book that is continually used in the field.Background information is provided in the first part of the book for ease of comprehension; it then describes such fundamental topics as soil environment and microbial processes, microbial groups and their interactions, and thoroughly addresses critical nutrient cycles and important environmental and agricultural applications. An excellent desk reference and useful tool for certified professional soil scientists, environmental scientists, and others that effect environmental policy, such as soil erosion and maintenance specialists. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

very handy well written book
This book was recommended to me by my tutor at university and he was right good well written easy to use book on a complex subject. I still use it today and think its an essential in any soil or agricultural consultants library. ... Read more

Book Description

A chicken tractor is a bottomless, portable pen that fits over your garden beds. Just set it wherever you need help in your garden. The chickens peck and scratch the soil to clean your beds, eat pest bugs and weed seeds. Best of all, they provide eggs and meat with that old-fashioned flavor. Chicken tractors have helped thousands of gardeners have better gardens and taken chickens out of factory farms and put them in the garden where they are your personal helpers. ... Read more

Reviews (14)

Unprofessional
I purchased the book because I was interested in raising chickens and building a chicken tractor. The technical aspects of building the chicken tractor are not clearly outlined, but after many re-readings I was able to construct one. The authors also mention nesting boxes and pop door on the chicken tractor but show no pictures or diagrams. Much of the information was repetitive in spots, and I thought that many of the cartoons were in bad taste.

Very good for the suburban gardener
I originally got some chickens because Martha Stewart said they love to eat crickets and here in the desert we have quite a problem with crickets. I found out that chickens are wonderful pets, not much trouble, very friendly and they have personalities. And they really eat bugs - best pest control you can have. I read this book on the concept of the chicken tractor and realized for the suburban gardener this is ideal. Hens eat bugs, grain, and vegetable scraps from the kitchen. Hens are great little composters, and they eat weed seeds and pests up to and including scorpions and baby mice and snakes. They don't need much except food and water, and protection from predators. We allow ours to roam a fenced in yard freely, and pen them up at night. This is a useful book if you just want a few hens and want to improve your soil (we don't move our hens around, once a year we take 4 inches off the soil in their yard and spread it around our trees and gardens.) The eggs are great - I like giving green eggs to little kids because they all have read Dr. Seuss. This book isn't for someone who is more interested in egg-laying or meat production on a large scale. And, by the way, we don't eat our hens. We are running a chicken retirement home - they don't lay eggs any more, but they still till, compost, eat weed seeds, and control pests.

has good concepts, but the steps and details are off
I used this book for some research and experiment ideas in agriculture. while it has some great general ideas and concepts, i found that the entire instructions for building the chicken tractor were lacking in detail and had conflicting drawings and steps. some required materials were not listed, and the process was vague. in reading the book, it seemed to me like a great book idea, but was very hastily presented and lacked thorough attention to detail. it looked very "thrown together". it is a book i recommend checking out from a library if you want some ideas, but i wouldn't waste my money purchasing it in hopes of practical steps for a chicken tractor. (the book might give inspiration, but YOU will have to come up with the practical details of trying and experimenting to build your tractor.) hint...lightweight and portable materials and use creativity to adapt their basic (and vaguely presented) tractor

Fine book for right audience
amrdmr is worried about the wrong things. We don't raise chickens for pets. Why read this book if you have no plans to butcher you chickens some day. There aren't many old chicken homes.

The purpose of this book was to introduce you to the benefits of pastured poultry and give you a host of ideas. True, it didn't get specific enough when I wanted to implement one of the ideas. But then, the book would have been the size of an encyclopedia.

It was a great introduction book. There are very few that do as good a job.

good ideas, some flaws
I will add my voice to the other reviewers because there seems to be a wide swing in opinion and maybe my thoughts will help others to decide whether or not to get this book. First of all, I know absolutely nothing about chicken-raising...starting from "scratch", as it were. I think the most serious flaw in "Chicken Tractor" is that the author barely mentions how to set up for laying hens and concentrates mainly on raising broilers and fryers; yet he always refers to slaughtering the chickens as "processing", a euphemism that is confusing at best. He refers to "processing plants", i.e. places that you take your live chickens and return to pick up "dressed", frozen chickens, but says that using this method is costly. He mentions home-slaughtering with the briefest of references to machines with horrifying names like "killing cone, thermostatically-controlled scalding vat and table-top plucking machine", but only says the machines are expensive and then leaves the reader totally in the dark (perhaps mercifully). I agree with the other reviewers that the author rambles and repeats himself endlessly, although when I realized that he would present the same information twice in a row, I just skipped the second go-round. I also agree that the cartoons are not very helpful in figuring out how you actually go about building the items needed. His instructions on building the chicken tractor could be followed, with some difficulty. But anyone trying to figure out how to build the perches and egg-laying boxes would have an almost impossible time trying to find that in this book. Also, he does a lot of cost calculations that date the book and are only minimally helpful. You will have no idea how to raise chicks or how to determine which rooster will be less noisy from reading this book. I gleaned only a fuzzy idea of how to protect my flock from predators or dogs.

The book's strengths lie in the explanation (albeit stated MANY times over) of the bio-ecological circle (he calls it "stacking) a small farmer strives for between the chicken manure enriching the soil, the soil producing more vegetables, scraps of which in turn feed the chickens, and so on. Another strength of the book is the list of suppliers and resources. The list of chicken breeds is quite long, but would have benefitted by adding more information about each variety. Bottomline, I think the book has some worthwhile information, but I definitely agree with the other reviewers who say that you will need other books in order to understand how to optimally raise chickens on a small farm. It might be better to start with another book. ... Read more

Book Description

Despite its many origins in agronomic problems, statistics today is often unrecognizable in this context. Numerous recent methodological approaches and advances originated in other subject-matter areas and agronomists frequently find it difficult to see their immediate relation to questions that their disciplines raise. On the other hand, statisticians often fail to recognize the riches of challenging data analytical problems contemporary plant and soil science provides.The first book to integrate modern statistics with crop, plant and soil science, Contemporary Statistical Models for the Plant and Soil Sciences bridges this gap. The breadth and depth of topics covered is unusual. Each of the main chapters could be a textbook in its own right on a particular class of data structures or models. The cogent presentation in one text allows research workers to apply modern statistical methods that otherwise are scattered across several specialized texts. The combination of theory and application orientation conveys ìwhyî a particular method works and ìhowî it is put in to practice.About the CD-ROMThe accompanying CD-ROM is a key component of the book. For each of the main chapters additional sections of text are available that cover mathematical derivations, special topics, and supplementary applications. It supplies the data sets and SAS code for all applications and examples in the text, macros that the author developed, and SAS tutorials ranging from basic data manipulation to advanced programming techniques and publication quality graphics.Contemporary statistical models can not be appreciated to their full potential without a good understanding of theory. They also can not be applied to their full potential without the aid of statistical software. Contemporary Statistical Models for the Plant and Soil Science provides the essential mix of theory and applications of statistical methods pertinent to research in life sciences. ... Read more

Book Description

This timely reference/text integrates the principles of soil microbiology with novel insights into the physiology and activity of soil microbiota obtained by using the latest modern molecular analyses--investigating relationships between microbial communities, community structures, and function. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Phytohormones in Soils: Microbial Production and Function
I have read and studied dozens of books on this subject.This is likely one of the most useful and PRACTICAL in this subject.The subject covered here is the next important step in modern agriculture!A new, more productive and sustainable system of food production is not possible without a general understanding and application of these concepts.I was so impressed that I took the time to contact Dr Frankenberger just to meet the man who had such insight into this subject.I was fortunate enough to also meet Dr Arshad at the same time.If you are a 21st century agronomist or sincere student of soil and plant fertility, you are missing something big here. ... Read more

Book Description

The First Comprehensive Guide to Shallow FoundationsOver the last few decades, the bearing capacity of shallow foundations has been studied more thoroughly than any other subject in geotechnical engineering. Until now, however, most references on foundation engineering devoted only a single chapter to the subject. Shallow Foundations: Bearing Capacity and Settlement provides what many engineers have been waiting for-a concise, comprehensive reference containing all the relevant material on shallow foundation behavior under static and dynamic loads related to their ultimate bearing capacity, allowable bearing capacity, and settlement.Estimation Techniques, Earthquake Loading, and Experimental ResultsThe author-a renowned expert-presents the various theories developed during the past fifty years for estimating the ultimate bearing capacity of shallow foundations under various types of loading and subsoil conditions. He discusses the principles of estimating foundation settlement and for estimating the stress increase in a soil mass supporting a foundation. Earthquake loading and its effects on ultimate bearing capacity have received considerable attention in recent years, and the author provides an overview of these developments. He also offers details regarding permanent foundation settlement caused by cyclic and transient loading-details derived from laboratory and field experimental observations.Progress in Soil ReinforcementResearchers have made steady progress in evaluating the potential of soil reinforcement to reduce settlement and increase ultimate and allowable bearing capacities of shallow foundations. This book provides an entire chapter on the subject, including discussions of the materials used: galvanized steel strips, geotextile, and geogrid.The presentation of Shallow Foundations is clear, concise, and filled with examples and exercises that illustrate the theory. This book stands alone as an in-depth, authoritative guide to shallow foundation bearing capacities and the effects of different soil types, slopes, settlement, reinforcement, and seismic activity. Researchers, students, and practicing engineers will all welcome its addition to their reference shelves. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

I AM THE WINNER
THIS BOOK MADE ME TRUST MY SELF

A COMPLETE IDIOT'S GUIDE TO SHALLOW FOUNDATIONS!
Braja's strike again with this easy to understand book on shallow foundations. It has an excellent theory and an amazing practice (examples and exercises). I bought "principles of foundation engineering" by this author and this book complements the chapter of shallow foundations with recently theory and new and improved examples.

I use both books in my work and I strongly recommend to buy this book if you work in the geotechnical area. ... Read more

Book Description

This book presents systematic, integrated A-to-Z coverage of state-of-the-art unsaturated zone hydrology. Multi-disciplinary in approach, it provides both a soil physics and an engineering approach to unsaturated zone hydrology. Coverage begins with the basic physical properties and the behavior of clays, and moves on to contaminant transport and other parameters such as spatial variability, scaling, and fractals in the earth sciences. KEY TOPICS: Details analytical solutions for seven analytical infiltration models. Provides a comprehensive description and equations for performing a detailed water balance used to size and design water-storage facilities, reclamation zones for waste-storage facilities, and other water-management facilities. Presents five analytical models for both deterministic and probabilistic solutions to liquid/vapor flow in the unsaturated zone -- including unique coverage of the derivation and use of a three-dimensional analytical solution for flow of NAPLs in the unsaturated zone. Presents eight analytical models to assess unsaturated zone contaminant levels which are permissible to regulators for protection of underlying ground water. Includes a detailed description of the current technology of site characterization and monitoring devices used in unsaturated zone research -- including illustrations, diagrams of connections, and advantages and disadvantages of each. Illustrates real-world problems typical of sites the authors have worked with during the last 10 years.A reference for practicing engineers and environmental law firms. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

An outstanding book that is very well written.
This book does an outstanding job of presenting the concepts and principles used in dealing with unsaturated zone transport problems. It uses an environmental approach of the problems found in this field of study and is ideally suited as both a teaching and reference text. I find this book superior to others such as "Soil Physics" by Jury, Gardner, Gardner; "Environmental Soil Physics" by Hillel (including the other 3 soil physics books by Hillel), "Vadose Zone Hydrology" by Stephens, and several others. Indeed, when compared to the books listed by Jury, et al., and Hillel, this book contains more information and is superior to both of them if combined together, i.e., "Soil Physics" and "Environmental Soil Physics."

The text includes a wealth of information not found in other texts dealing with this subject. This includes hazardous waste site characterization, bioremediation of the vadose zone, LNAPL's and DNAPL's, an excellent treatment of modeling water, solute, and vapor movement in the unsaturated zone, use of fractals in unsaturated zone studies, and other topics. I enjoyed several major points of this text. First, in addition to a detailed coverage of the topics, questions are asked within various sections of each chapter, and answers to these questions are given at the end of the chapter to reinforce learning skills by the student. Second, in addition to the answered questions, more questions are given to which there are no answers. However, answers to these questions are given in a separate solutions manual available to the instructor. Third, rather than a theoretical text, the book has an excellent blend of both practical and theoretical information. Fourth, I really like the appendices that cover site characterization and monitoring devices, a mathematics review that has questions with answers given in the solutions manual, and one of the most complete set of conversion tables I have ever seen. Finally, this book should be considered as a pre-programed self-learning tool that will serve the student, instructor, and consultant very well.

If you are an instructor and desire a book that has a logical topic progression of unsaturated zone hydrology, and if you want a book the students will love, that will not only promote learning, but will ease your teaching time commitment, this is the book for you. Whether you teach soil physics, unsaturated zone hydrology, or fracture flow, the information you need is here. If you are a consultant, practicing scientist, or an engineer that needs a complete reference for this field, this text is it! The preface even lists the author contact. This book is easy to use, reasonably priced, and extremely well written, I only wish I had access to this text when I studied unsaturated zone hydrology. I now use this book as a reference for unsaturated zone studies, and even though I obtained my copy in late 1998, it has been very useful. I commend the authors for such a fine work.

Kenneth J. Lull, Hydrologist, United States Geological Survey

Good text on vadose zone hydrology.
It is my impression as a soil physics professor that these authors have done an excellent job in presenting the concepts and principles necessary for assisting the reader or student in mastering the subject of soil physics. I teach in a traditional department and have found that for the past several years, my class is composed of more students from environmental study areas whose goal is to learn about methods for characterizing and studying unsaturated zone hydrology. Tindall and Kunkel have an obvious grasp on these changes as is evidenced by the title of their book and the manner in which the material is presented. This new text is environmental in approach and can be used by students and professionals in many fields of study.

Rather than a simple reiteration of soil physics, Tindall and Kunkel have written their text using a new approach. The text includes new material and chapters not found in previous texts including hazardous waste site characterization and case studies, use of fractals in vadose zone science, bioremediation, discussion of LNAPLs and DNAPLs, as well as many other topics. Not only are these covered in detail, but questions are presented so that the reader is allowed to develop confidence in solving problems. Appendices are included which describe site characterization and monitoring devices as well as challenges associated with their selection and use. There is a math review for those students who come from non-traditional fields of study or those who are simply rusty in their math ability. A list of symbols and unit conversion tables are also included at the end of the text.

In essence, the authors of this book have done an outstanding job covering the typical problems encountered in this field. Example problems are given in the text with answers at the end of each chapter along with additional questions. These additional questions are solved in an instructor's manual available to course instructors. Some problems may be too advanced for introductory students; however, the text can be easily adapted for an introductory or advanced course. I used this text during the Fall 1998 semester and have reordered it for the Fall 1999 semester. Not only did I enjoy the text, but my students enjoyed it as well. The book is complete, up-to-date, and well written. I heartily recommend this text to instructors of soil physics as well as professionals in the environmental industry who require a good reference text.

Splendid Text
Like calculus, unsaturated zone hydrology can only be made so easy. As a soils professor and instructor of this subject, I have waited for 20 years for a text of this sort to come along. It gives me the flexibility to teach both undergraduate and graduate classes. For the students there are many worked examples and for the instructors a great manual that you can order separately. I get the best of both worlds and the students have what is in my opinion, the finest text and reference in this field. Many kudos to the authors for a job well done!

Great text for both teaching and students
I was unable to attend a college in my area that offered an unsaturated zone hydrology or soil physics course. As a result, I purchased several books on the subject including those by Hillel, Jury, and Stephens. While they were useful, it was difficult to grasp the material within certain areas then, at the suggestion of a friend I purchased this book. I found it much easier to follow than other texts and very informative both as a study tool and a professional reference for instructors and consultants.

I must admit that the previous review from the skier guy in Denver kinda turned me off, but I bought the book anyway and have never regretted it. Actually, I was able to discuss some aspects with the authors and found their insights particularly useful. Without doubt the material is difficult, but it's laid out well here. I found the answered questions very useful before trying the additional questions to which no answers are given.

While the book is likely not perfect I can say to the guy from Denver that if you were lucky enough to take this class from the author then, kudos to you. Also, one thing I have learned is that it's extremely difficult to have as he put it "a decent and intense class" without a good text. My experience has been that the class generally follows the text. If one is poor, usually both are poor.

My recommendation is that this is a great text and one won't go wrong by purchasing it. In my opinion the best chapters are 1-3, 7-10, and 13, but that those are where my skills are concentrated and they are all well thought out and well written. The list of symbols is also very useful although quite lengthy as they include soil science, hydrology, and engineering symbols for the same areas. I didn't catch that at first. I really like the book compared to others I've studied. Best of all, it helped me master this area and gained me a $10k per year raise in my firm.

4.5 stars? You have got to be kidding me.
Without question, this book is useful to professional vadose zone scientists as a refrence. I'll even go so far as to say it's the least-bad unsaturated zone book on the market. It scores points for being comprehensive and thorough. The book also looks nice and has good diagrams. Many of us have it on our book shelves here at work. I find myself referring to it occasionally, years after I first studied the text in grad school.
BUT
After *extensive* study of this text, I hate it. It is very hard to follow for even the sharpest of grad students / hydrologists. For instance, the index of symbols has over 500 entries (thank god there is an index). I found the explanations to be "on a different level" from 95% of the audience of the book, which severely limits its usefulness. This is no "Freeze and Cherry" textbook. And no, I'm no dummy who got frustrated w/ the content and gave up on it - I took Dr. Tindall's unsaturated zone course, persevered, and recieved an A for my efforts.

Once again, the book is good for a refrence if you already know your unsaturated zone science, but forget trying to learn unsat zone hydrolgy from this text unless you have a great prof or 170 IQ. Looking at my book shelf, I have to put this text in the bottom 40%, 2 stars. ... Read more

Book Description

The most comprehensive, up-to-date, and thoroughly researched book on the topic of composting human manure available anywhere. It includes a review of the historical, cultural, and environmental issues pertaining to "human waste," as well as an in depth look at the potential health risks related to humanure recycling, with clear instructions on how to eliminate those dangers in order to safely convert humanure into garden soil. Written by a humanure composter with over twenty years experience, this classic work now includes illustrated, step-by-step instructions on how to build a "$25 composting toilet." Also new to the second edition is a chapter on alternative graywater systems; color photos of humanure compost gardens; a review of U.S. state regulations pertaining to compost toilets, graywater systems, and constructed wetlands; and a list of compost toilets sources worldwide. The humor throughout the book, however, remains execrable. ... Read more

Reviews (40)

Humanure Handbook
What a fun and informative book. Joe's ability to include much needed scientific information in a light hearted and comic way makes the reading truely enjoyable. Composting toilets are catching on for many reasons throughout the world and I see why this book has become a primary source of facts about the whole process of using human manure through a low cost composting method. I have actually used a toilet built to his specs--with the 5 gallon plastic bucket and saw dust--and must say it works. My wife and I are planning to add one of our own to a little cabin on our 80 acre tree farm. Have a laugh and learn how to reduce your impact on the Earth. Read the Humanure Handbook!

The Humanure Handbook
Our family looked a long time before finding the info that Joseph Jenkins presents in his book. Having moved onto raw land after living in camping trailers and RVs, we had been used to chemical toilets and now faced a situation where we were weekly going to a dump site. I had heard that there were "composting toilets" which were a great alternative, especially for organic farmers, but that they were very expensive. Jenkins' book contributed more to our life than any other resource excluding the Holy Bible. He presents well documented facts for any one who is concerned with bacteria, disease, the environment, recycling and perhaps best of all simplicity and economics. Joes book has helped our family to live a less stressful and more productive life. What he presents can be understood by anyone and will fit the budget of the poorest of us. Joe Jenkins has given us one more tool to help us all return our planet to the beautiful garden it was intended to be.

Go ahead -- eat that burrito!
If you're like me, you spent years avoiding solid food because of the unpleasant by-product (poop). Well, those days are over! Thanks to this fabulous book, you can eat REAL food again ... and, better yet, you can "do your business" just about anywhere -- the back yard, the garden, even your local golf course! Heck, I've stopped wearing pants!

On the down side, I wish the book had included more recipes.

A book that digs deep.
I like it when a book makes me take a big step back and question my place in the world. The Humanure Handbook uses a daily function (going to the bathroom) as the context for doing just this. Not only does it scrutize a deeply-entrenched and accepted modern appliance (the flush toilet), exposing it as a wasteful product of western laziness, but it gives the reader all the information needed to easily, affordably, and safely implement a better alternative.

Probably the most important point made in The Humanure Handbook is the fact that we use the word 'waste' far too liberally and in the wrong way. In the phrase 'human waste' the word 'waste' should be a verb rather than a noun, because as a society we are going to tremendous expense to turn a valuable resource (human urine and feces) into something that is so hard to use that it is fit to be described as 'waste' (noun).

Jenkins works hard to challenge and ultimately destroy the reader's irrational fear of feces and to turn that 'fecophobia' into an enlightened respect for the resource that it can be.

The author cites numerous scientific studies that corraborate his extensive personal experience with composting *everything* that a family household generates. His summary of the scientific literature pertaining to the practise of composting humanure is thorough enough to convince me (a proud skeptic) that anybody could safely compost humanure after a careful reading of this book.

This Book Improved Our Lives!
This book improved our lives as soon as I finished it! Thank you Joe Jenkins! After living for four years with a well known brand of composting toilet, the sawdust toilet in this book has finally given us simple living. I read this book cover to cover the day I got it. My husband built it in one hour and we started using it. Simplicity at it's best! Everything in this book makes total sense. I only wish I'd bought this book four years ago when we first moved to our homestead. I highly recommend it-it should be required reading to live in this country! ... Read more

Book Description

The authoritative guide to landslide investigation, evaluation, and mitigation design
Landslides in Practice combines clearly written descriptions and real-life case histories in an authoritative, practical guide to landslide investigation, evaluation, and mitigation design. It presents state-of-the-art investigative techniques and practical information on proven remediation techniques and technologies, including handy checklists for undertaking an initial field examination of a landslide.
Landslides in Practice describes the technical tools needed to study landslides-site investigations, soil shear strength properties, and slope stability analyses-and details forty-five methods for stabilizing landslides or preventing instability in soils from occurring. Most remediation techniques are keyed to the ENR Construction Cost Index to help readers determine a rough estimate of the costs associated with the various techniques.
To-the-point summaries explain presented techniques without confusing jargon, and dozens of succinct case histories integrated throughout the book serve as useful examples. In addition, twelve expanded case histories illustrate in depth many aspects of the landslide events and remediation strategies covered.
Complete with hundreds of informative illustrations, Landslides in Practice is a valuable resource for engineers, geologists, consulting firms, and construction companies, as well as landscape architects, land developers, and trial lawyers in the construction industry. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Landslides in Practice
"Landslides in Practice" is the best practitioner's book on landslides I've seen.This excellent book is complete, logically arranged and written with an economy of words that makes the book highly useful as a practical reference.The full discussion of remedial measures - when and when not to use them, and cost estimating will be particularly useful in my work.I know I'll use this book often.

The Authoritative Source for Landslides
Landslides in Practice is an outstanding technical publication aimed at geotechnical engineers and geologists.I am very impressed with the format, layout and technical content.The book is well divided into three sections, with useful case histories in the third section.All figures are well presented and easy to follow.I am also impressed with the opportunity to estimate "ballpark" costs for various mitigation techniques.This textbook may become the "bible" on landslide design and mitigation.I will definitely keep it as my main resource for landslide/slope stability assignments. ... Read more

Book Description

The first complete handbook for every aspect of grouting technology
The Practical Handbook of Grouting offers the most comprehensive, single-source reference covering all facets of grouting technology, including its application for control of water movement, strengthening of both soil and rock, and a wide range of structural applications. Richly illustrated with hundreds of informative photographs, graphs, and figures, this handbook provides invaluable advice on all stages of a project from initial investigation and design, through execution, monitoring, and quality control.
Broad coverage in the Practical Handbook of Grouting begins with a general overview of the topic and includes design and quality control issues, injection techniques, and a thorough discussion of drilling and grouting equipment, with practical focus on building custom equipment.
Enriched with real-world insights from the author, the Practical Handbook of Grouting features the latest information on:
* Cementitious and noncementitious grouts, including new admixtures and polymers
* Special construction requirements, including grouting inside structures, underground spaces, in extreme environments, and for emergency response support
* Grouting equipment, including pumps, mixers, agitators, and delivery and monitoring systems
* Pump mechanics, including the advantages and limitations of all pump types
* "The Games Contractors Play," including marketing efforts, proposal trickery, on-the-job issues, and defending bad work
Complete with an extensive bibliography and references, the Practical Handbook of Grouting is a valuable resource for civil, structural, and geotechnical engineers, geologists, contractors, and students in related fields. ... Read more

Book Description

Covering wetlands soils from Florida to Alaska, Wetland Soils: Genesis, Hydrology, Landscapes, and Classification provides information on all types of hydric soils. With contributions from soil scientists who have extensive field experience, the book focuses on the soil morphology of the wet soils that cover most wetlands from the subtropics northward. No previous book has been devoted solely to the subject of hydric soils and their landscapes.The book is well organized and divided into three parts. Part I examines the basic concepts, processes, and properties of aspects of hydric soils that pertain to virtually any hydric soil. It provides a general overview and important terms and concepts. Part II covers the soils in specific kinds of wetlands and the different functions they perform. Part III emphasizes special wetlands conditions such as soils composed of sand, organic soils in northern North America, prairie wetlands, wetlands in saline situations, dry climates, and wetlands with modified hydrology.Whether you are an expert in soil science, or just need a crash course, this reference prepares you to work with real wetlands-outdoors. Written for scientists without a background in soil science and comprehensive in scope, Wetlands Soils: Genesis, Hydrology, Landscapes, and Classification provides basic and advanced coverage, explaining the fundamentals of hydric soils in terms even a non-soil scientist can understand. ... Read more

Book Description

Biotechnical slope stabilization and soil bioengineering are techniques that use plants to stabilize slopes and prevent soil erosion. They are preferable to traditional structures because they are cost-effective, attractive, and much better for the environment. This book examines these popular methods for dealing with erosion control and slope stabilization problems. ... Read more

Book Description

This book uses only simple mathematics and emphasizes applications to explore the nature of soils and how they can influence certain construction operations.An introduction to soil materials is followed by a discussion of soils in the construction contract. Specifications from example contracts influenced by soil materials are discussed, as are the applications of soil behavior principles.For contractors, owners, technicians, lawyers, and engineers in the construction field. ... Read more

Book Description

Covers properties of subsurface materials, types of foundations and methods of construction, selection of foundation type and basis for design, and design of foundations and earth-retaining structures. ... Read more

Book Description

While numerous books are available on remediation systems, this is the first work to document and explain in full the design aspects of the subject. Based on sound engineering principles and practical construction considerations, this text explains the entire process of remediation design, from assessment to completion, and provides engineers with the tools they need to conduct a pilot test, apply the results, and design a practical, efficient system.Design of Remediation Systems first establishes the underlying principles behind each technology, then outlines the standard procedures for designing a system. This comprehensive manual explains feasibility and pilot tests, data evaluation, design considerations and parameters, calculations and equations, and construction aspects of the system. Also featured are discussions of the operation and maintenance of systems, and analysis of current trends, such as combining soil vapor extraction with air sparging. Detailed case study examples are included in each chapter. The book considers petroleum hydrocarbons as the primary contaminant, but the principles and procedures can be applied to a wide range of other contaminants.This hands-on text/reference presents a complete picture of remediation system design forengineers, students, and scientists. No other single work offers the thorough coverage of this critical aspect of remediation. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Design of Remediation Systems
It is a good design guideline of this sort in remdiation engineering since it was written from designer's perspective with real examples and spreadsheets for data recording and analyses. However, it would be even better if it included more theoretical background on vapor extraction test to help designers compare with groundwater unsteady pump test theory. There is a minor error in page 216 that motor HP is considered a fuction of motor's efficiecy. Motors are usally rated as output HP. ... Read more

Book Description

The interactions between tectonic uplift, river erosion and alluvial deposition are fundamental processes which have acted to shape the landscape we see today.These processes are of course ongoing, and are important not only in geomorphology, sedimentology and structural geology, but also hydrology and river engineering.The authors have combined their specialities to bring together evidence and a variety of examples from both field and experimental studies to demonstrate how alluvial rivers are responding to uplift, subsidence and lateral tilting.Such recognition of the nature of river response yield criteria for the identification of active tectonics elsewhere, especially in areas without a history of seismic activity, or in the stratigraphic record.This volume will be of interest to graduate students, consultants and academic researchers in geomorphology, sedimentology and stratigraphy, structural geology, hydrology, geophysics, and geography. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Best intro to the topic, but could use some revision....
"Active Tectonics And Alluvial Rivers" comes with a trio of authors that certainly sounds authoritative and reliable, although Dumont was unknown to me thus far (my bad!), but the names of Schumm and Holbrook definitely were enough for me...
The main value of this quick and agile treatise lies in being possibly the first one specifically dealing with the relationship between tectonics and all manners of fluvial affairs. Treatments in recent textbooks by Miall and Bridge also cover the topic of course, but in this case we meet with unprecedented focus...

In these days of explosion in research in all of the Earth sciences, it is not surprising that even an essay on such a specialized subject has to be structured in an intricate series of chapters and subsections ranging widely over many different subdisciplines and topics. The list of contents shows coverage of essentially all of the main aspects of fluvial geomorphology, hydrology and sedimentology in relation to factors of active tectonic control, positively highlighting throughout the importance of both forward and inverse approaches to the analysis of a wide range of field and laboratory (flume) case studies, including relevant work by the authors themselves...

The main letdown for me, however, came exactly from the general content of the book! I suppose no one would be daring to delve into the complexities of interactions between fluvial processes and tectonic controls without being fairly well grounded in the basics of the subject... Yet, I was left with a feeling that the authors all too easily glossed over an introduction to some main theoretical aspects of relevance to all the discussions that would follow. The structure of the whole book essentially consists in a long series of (even too) detailed descriptions and discussions of case studies, an approach that inevitably brings about some discontinuity. This doesn't really help the reader in forming a logical thread of synthesis on his mind, busy as he must be in making sense of all the different examples. Chapter summaries won't help either, as they often appear to be too cursory and simplistic, and in a couple of instances even report observations on issues that are not so relevant to what has been discussed, such as in chapter five on "Earthquake effects"! The final result is therefore that the reader is left with quite some homework to do in order to come out with general insights and principles from a somewhat spotty and fragmented maze of case studies...
On the other hand, it is to be considered, as well, that the subject has never undergone extensive review in the past, and that its inherent difficulties (let's face it, anything river-related is a tricky mess!! By far the most complex geomorphic systems...) imply an open road ahead for research, still to be fully explored. So, although lacking in explicit overview, the book was not and could not have been intended to provide easy or ready-made answers! Let's say that a second, more careful read can clear up the mind and aid in pinpointing a few principles of general relevance...
Of possible help however could be a paper published by two of the authors, which though much less detailed, contains the most interesting hints and observations you could gather from the book in a much more concise version! (Holbrook & Schumm, 1999, "Geomorphic and sedimentary response of rivers to tectonic deformation: a brief review and critique of a tool for recognizing subtle epeirogenic deformation in modern and ancient settings"", Tectonophysics 305: 287-306)

In spite of my rather substantial criticism, I guess it's fair to say that as an introduction to the subject this little treatise should not be missed by anyone interested! A second edition could come up with updates from a steadily growing body of literature, and above all with more introductory and summarizing background all throughout, in order to better lead the reader toward understanding and, why not, inspiration for further research...

First comprehensive book on the topic
This is the first book, in my opinion, to really focus on the effects of active tectonics in the fluvial system regime.Many books focus on tectonic geomorphology or fluvial geomorphology, but none has integratedboth subject areas for a thorough discussion on the integration of thetwo.

I really appreciated that the authors concentrated on case studiesrather than jargon.The two background chapters are sufficient to startthe advanced reader on the extremely interesting case studies.I alsoappreciated the division of the case studies into forward and inversemodeling approaches.

The applicatons section was full of studies ofmodern approaches in engineering, stratigraphy, and neotectonicinterpretation.

Overall, this book was the perfect synthesis of tectonicsand fluvial systems.Stan Schumm is a master on river morphology.He andHolbrook and Dumont should be commended on their effort! ... Read more

Book Description

This unique manual guides users step-by-step through the hows and whys of the most commonly used testing methods in civil engineering practice—those based on the latest American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM).The book uses a consistent “Procedure,” “Data,” and “Calculations” format for each test; contains completely worked examples showing the computations required for the analysis and evaluation of the test data collected; discusses what data, results, and other information should be presented in the test report; and explains what the test results will be used for in practical engineering problems. Blank data reporting forms and graph papers are provided for most tests, and an accompanying CD-ROM contains state-of-the-art, user-friendly software for compiling test data, performing calculations, plotting curves, and obtaining final results.For individuals interested in a construction or civil engineering technology career. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

What do I do with the information?
I bought this book because it was the required lab manual for a Soils Testing Class at the University I attend. The authors went into great detail in describing each lab and all the equipment used to perform the tests. However, as a student I would have hoped to know how to decipher the results of the test to come up with a useable solution to apply to real life construction applications. For example, if I find during a test that my soil is non plastic, how can I find out what kind of foundation to use to build a structure on the soil? I feel like the chapters should have gone at least one step further in their explanations. ... Read more

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A MUST-READ BOOK TO UNDERSTAND SOIL MECHANICS!
This book has it all on soil mechanics! It explains to you in the easiest way all about soil mechanics, and I'm telling you ALL about soil mechanics. It contains an excellent explication about permeability and seepage, consolidation, settlements and shear strength. It also contains excellents examples and exercises, that would guide you to understand everything about soil mechanics. ... Read more

Book Description

Agricultural ecology, or agroecology, deals in general with the structure and function of agroecosystems at different levels of resolution. In this text/reference, the authors describe in terms of agroecology the tropical environments of sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia, and Latin and Central America, focusing on production and management systems unique to each region. ... Read more

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Best book on the subject
The book by Juo and Franzluebbers is the best book ever written on the subject of tropical soils and their management for sustainable agriculture. Authors discused systematically the properties of the major tropical soils, their linkage with agroecosystems and management options based on current knowledge. The book is very informative, easy to read, well illustrated and contains useful tables. It is highly recommended as introductory textbook for students in tropical soils and also for agricultural and environmental workers interested in natural resource management for agricultural production in the tropics. ... Read more