Books are useful for background information and for getting an overview of your topic. While journal articles will have the latest research and developments, they are often focused on a very narrow aspect of a topic. So start your project by looking for books on your topic. Get an overview and learn about the terminology used to describe your topic. Once you have the "big picture" you can then use the engineering databases to find journal articles on your topic.
Find books about civil engineering by using Preston Library's catalog. The search box is below:
Tips for searching are:
You can also browse the civil engineering section on the 400 level [TA], but there are other aspects of civil engineering located on the 600 level [GB-KF]. Library of Congress call numbers with subject headings are as follows:
Call number range | LC Subject Heading |
---|---|
GB 1001 - GB 1005 | Groundwater Hydrology |
HD 9715 - HD 9718 | Construction Management |
HE 370 - HE 380 | Traffic Engineering |
HV 675 | Prevention of Accidents |
KF 390 .E54 | Engineering Law |
KF 902 | Contracts. Construction Industry |
KF 3812 | Air Pollution - Laws and Legislation |
KF 3948 | Laws - Atomic Power Radiation |
KF 3950 | Laws - Atomic Waste Disposal |
QC 795.3 | Radioactive Substances. Special Aspects |
QD 561 | Ions and Ionization |
QE 602 - QE 606 | Structural Geology |
RA 565 - RA 598 | Sanitation and Sanitary Control |
RA 1231 .R2 | Radioactive Substances - Toxicology |
S 591 - S593 | Soils Classification - Analysis |
T 57.6 - T 57.95 | Operations Research - Systems Analysis |
TA | Civil Engineering |
TC 7 - TC 1645 | Hydraulic Engineering |
TE 7 - TE 450 | Highway Engineering - Roads and Pavements |
TF | Railroad Engineering and Operation |
TH 425 - TH 435 | Building - Contracts and Specifications |
TH 1094 - TH 1095 | Earth Movements and Buildings |
TL 725 - TL 758 | Transportation |