Combines a thorough theoretical presentation with the practical aspects of foundation design. The first three chapters offer a condensed version of the basic elements of soil mechanics. The remaining chapters deal with the design of diverse types of foundation components, retaining structures and site improvement. New topics include: drilled piers in rock, sheet--pile design graphs, underpinning, in place density test, and geoenvironmental improvements. Contains numerous photographs and example problems which demonstrate various procedures in problem solving. Includes several open--ended case studies representing actual data from the authora s own projects.