The book has been designed as a textbook for civil engineering and advanced geology students and as a reference work for practicing civil engineers and engineering geologists. Those portions of the book that can be omitted at the first reading and all examples are printed in small type. The book has been made more compact and thus more convenient for use by condensing descriptions of laboratory and field test procedures; its mathematics are reduced to a minimum by omitting the derivation of formulas. Detailed information on an item of interest may be located however by using the list of references appended to each chapter. Although the book is not formally subdivided into two major parts the first eight chapters contain geotechnical information of a general character applicable to any structure. The remainder of the book except Chap. 19 contains applications of this general information to specific kinds of structures. This concept may be useful in subdividing the material between two semesters when the book is used for teaching purposes.