These are some of my favorite books for understanding the fundamentals of civil engineering. I only put those books that I use and love.
Disclosure: Some of the links are affiliate links, and at no additional cost to you I will earn a small commission if you decide to make a purchase. I recommend you only purchase these books if you believe they will help you achieve your specific goals.
Index
Click on the links to move to the respective sections
- Concrete Technology. Concrete is the backbone of modern world. It is of utmost importance for any civil engineer to have a good understanding of the properties of concrete and its design methods. Click on the link to check out the books that we recommend for concrete technology.
- Structural Analysis. Structural analysis deals with understanding the behaviour of structural members when subjected to loads. Structural design completely depends on the output of structural analysis and having a strong foundation in analysis helps engineers to provide economic designs. Click on the link to check out the books that we recommend for structural analysis.
- Structural Design. Design is the final step in the whole engineering process. A good design satisfies the requirements of strength and serviceability while also remaining economic to construct. Click on the link to check out the books that we recommend for structural design.
Concrete Technology
Concrete Technology
by MS Shetty
Concrete is one of the most widely used construction materials in the world. It is essential for each and every student of civil engineering to have a good understanding of the properties of concrete and its behavior under different loading and climatic conditions.
This book covers all aspects of concrete technology from first principles. It is of the best books on concrete technology available in the market.
Structural Analysis
Strength of Materials
by R.K. Bansal
This book covers all the fundamental concepts related to the field of Strength of Materials. This book starts with the description of stress and strains. It then beautifully describe the concepts of shear force, bending moments and torsion. It also describe many advanced topics.
This book also contains a large number of objective type questions which would help the students to prepare for GATE and other competitive examinations. All in all this is a great book and I highly recommend it.
Structural Analysis
by R C Hibbeler
This book covers the theory and implementation of structural analysis methods to the analysis of beams, trusses and frames. The book is divided into three parts. Initially, the author describes the analysis of determinate structures.
In the second part description of the analysis of indeterminate structures is provided. Finally, the stiffness method is described in detail which lays the foundation for advanced topics such as matrix method and finite element analysis.
Structural Analysis
by Devdas Menon
The book is divided into five parts. Initially, the author describes the fundamentals of structural analysis such as, what is a structure, what is load and response etc.
In the second and third part description of the analysis of statically determinate structures is provided. In the third part Force methods are discussed. Finally, the displacement methods are described in detail such as the slope-deflection method, moment distribution method etc.
Advanced Structural Analysis
by Devdas Menon
This book covers the theory and implementation of “MATRIX METHODS” used in the analysis of structures, which provides a bridge between traditional methods and modern computer-aided methods.
Initially, the author has presented the basic concepts in structural analysis and matrix algebra. Then, the author has demonstrated through various numerical examples how the matrix methods can be applied to linear static analysis. This book is a pre-requisite for understanding the Finite Element Method.
Structural Design
Reinforced Concrete Design
by Devdas Menon and S. Pillai
This is by far the best book that I have studied for RCC design. The book is an industry standard and would help you understand the basic concepts of RCC design. The book is upto date and is based on the latest Indian Standards.
There are dedicated chapters to cover the most important topics in this domain and the author has also given explanations for different clauses in the code.
Illustrated Design of Reinforced Concrete Buildings
by Dr. V.L. Shah
This book teaches the process of designing a Reinforced concrete G+3 Storeyed Office/Residential buildings. It also teaches about Earthquake analysis and designing. The author has covered the provisions of IS456 and IS13920.
Detailed step by step calculations are provided that would help students to understand the process of design. This book is quite thick but you should not be intimidated by its size. It would help you to develop a practical approach to handle RCC design projects.