good structural book

huangyhg

good structural book
my background is heat transfer. i currently own a concrete construction company and need to brush up on structural behavior, retaining wallls, loading, etc. the basics are what i am interested in. i am very computer literate, so an inexpensive piece of software is not out of the question. any asce books / publications recommendations? thanks...
a good, albeit not terribly in-depth general book would be the "structural engineering reference manual" by alan williams.
this book is typically purchased by engineers about to take the pe. i forewarn you that it is by no means a comprehensive treatment of structural engineering, but it does go through many basic design procedures.
the one aspect that is completely lacking is structural analysis (you indicated that you would like some literature on loads, etc.). the only books on this subject with which i am familiar would probably be too technical for someone just looking for some basic concepts, so i'll reserve that recommendation for someone who may know of a better book.
you may want to look on amazon.com and read the feedback- this should at least give you some idea of the audience for which the book is intended.
if you want to brush up on retaining walls, with software, one idea would be here:
are these any good? thanks...
standard handbook for civil engineers by merritt, loftin & ricketts provides basic coverage of the full range of civil/structural topics.
i personally like principals of foundation engineering by
braja m. das for retaining walls and footings.
as for not foundation concrete...
you might like
reinforced concrete mechanics and design by james g. macgregor.
this might help you too