Analysis and Design of Shallow and Deep Foundations by Swami Saran, William M. Hannifin & Shri Tower Wang

Foundation engineering is where structural design meets the reality of the ground. Even the strongest superstructure can fail if the foundation system is poorly designed, badly constructed, or based on incorrect soil assumptions. That’s why a strong foundation reference is essential for any engineer working with buildings, bridges, industrial structures, or heavy infrastructure.

Analysis and Design of Shallow and Deep Foundations by Swami Saran, William M. Hannifin, and Shri Tower Wangis a valuable resource because it tackles foundation engineering as both an analysis problem and a design problem—covering both shallow and deep foundation systems in one structured reference.

Quick Overview

Title: Analysis and Design of Shallow and Deep Foundations
Authors: Swami Saran, William M. Hannifin, Shri Tower Wang
Field: Geotechnical engineering / foundation design
Best for: Civil engineers, geotechnical engineers, structural engineers, foundation designers, students
Use cases: Footings, rafts, settlement analysis, piles, drilled shafts, deep foundations for bridges and buildings

What This Book Covers

The book’s main strength is that it provides coverage of both foundation types used in practice, helping engineers compare and design systems logically. It typically addresses:

Shallow Foundations

• Spread footings and strip footings

• Bearing capacity concepts

  • shear failure modes in soil

  • ultimate vs allowable capacity

• Settlement analysis

  • immediate vs consolidation settlement

  • serviceability-driven design

• Mat foundations (rafts)

  • load distribution logic

  • stiffness and settlement behavior

Deep Foundations

• Pile foundations

  • capacity in cohesionless and cohesive soils

  • shaft friction and end bearing

• Drilled shafts (caissons)

• Group effects

  • pile group behavior

  • efficiency and interaction

• Lateral loads on deep foundations

  • importance for bridges, towers, and seismic cases

• Uplift and tension foundations

  • for wind, overturning, and equipment loads

Overall, it helps engineers understand foundations as a system: soil + foundation element + loading + performance criteria.

What I Liked Most (Strengths)

1) Balanced focus on analysis and design

Many books are either too theoretical or too simplified. This one is useful because it emphasizes how to analyze foundation behavior and how to translate results into a practical design.

2) Covers both shallow and deep foundations in one reference

This is a big advantage for engineers working on real projects where the design may shift between:

• isolated footings

• raft foundations

• piles or drilled shafts

Having one resource that treats all of these together helps decision-making and comparison.

3) Strong for serviceability awareness (settlement matters)

Foundation problems are often serviceability failures, not strength failures. Excessive settlement, tilting, and differential movement can cause:

• cracking in superstructures

• misaligned equipment

• drainage problems

• long-term structural distress

The book’s attention to settlement and performance makes it valuable for real design work.

What Could Be Better (Limitations)

1) Not a replacement for site investigation and local standards

Foundation design depends heavily on:

• soil testing quality

• groundwater conditions

• regional geotechnical practice

• local codes and safety factors

So the book is best used as a reference guide alongside project-specific data and standards.

2) Advanced problems still require specialist software or detailed methods

Complex foundations (high-rise rafts, offshore piles, seismic soil-structure interaction) often require more advanced modeling than any single textbook can cover fully.

Who Should Read This Book?

Recommended for:

• geotechnical engineers designing foundation systems

• structural engineers who want deeper foundation understanding

• civil engineers working on bridges and heavy foundations

• students studying shallow and deep foundation analysis

• engineers reviewing bearing capacity and settlement logic

Less ideal for:

• readers seeking only quick design charts without explanations

• very advanced researchers focused solely on numerical methods

Final Verdict

Analysis and Design of Shallow and Deep Foundations is a strong technical reference for engineers who want a complete view of foundation design—from soil behavior fundamentals to practical design application. Its biggest strength is its combined treatment of shallow and deep foundations, making it highly useful for real-world project decisions.