Concluding the trilogy on geological materials in construction, this authoritative volume reviews many uses of clays, ranging from simple fills to sophisticated products. Comprehensive and international coverage is achieved by an expert team, including geologists, engineers and architects. Packed with information prepared for a wide readership, this unique handbook is also copiously illustrated. The volume is dedicated to the memory of Professor Sir Alec Skempton. Various definitions of 'clay' are explored. Clay mineralogy is described, plus the geological formation of clay deposits and their fundamental materials properties. World and British clay deposits are reviewed and explained. New compositional data are provided for clay formations throughout the stratigraphic column. Investigative techniques and interpretation are considered, ranging from site exploration to laboratory assessment of composition and engineering performance. Major civil engineering applications are addressed, including earthworks, earthmoving and specialized roles utilizing clays. Traditional earthen building is included and shown to dominate construction in places. Clay-based construction materials are detailed, including bricks, ceramics and cements. The volume also includes a comprehensive glossary.

This volume investigates the interaction between the natural environment, market forces and political entities in an ancient Sicilian town and its surrounding micro-region over the time-span of a thousand years. Focusing on the ancient polis of Kale Akte (Caronia) and the surrounding Nebrodi area on the north coast of Sicily, the book examines the city’s archaeology and history from a broad geographical and cultural viewpoint, suggesting that Kale Akte may have had a greater economic importance for Sicily and the wider Mediterranean world than its size and lowly political status would suggest. Also discussed is the gradual population shift away from the hill-top down to a growing harbour settlement at Caronia Marina, at the foot of the rock. The book is particularly important for the comprehensive analysis of the 1999–2004 excavations at the latter, with fresh interpretations of the function of the buildings excavated and their chronology, as well for reviewing the present state of our knowledge about Kale Acte/Calacte, and defining research questions for the future. The archaeological material at the heart of this study comes from excavations at the site conducted by the author. It is one of the few detailed publications from Sicily of Hellenistic and Roman amphora material. The conclusions about changing trends of commercial production and exchange will be of interest to those working on ceramic material elsewhere in Sicily and indeed further afield. The study also offers a fresh perspective of the economic history of ancient Sicily, and concludes that Kale Akte’s privileged location on the north coast was well suited for the export trade to Italy and the city of Rome itself, which enabled the Sicilian town to prosper during the Roman Empire. The origins of Kale Akte and its alleged foundation by the exiled Sikel leader, Ducetius, in the fifth century BC, are also discussed in the light of the latest archaeological discoveries. An Italian summary of each chapter is also included.

"The log of the clay worker": v. 100, p. 188-193.

This volume provides a snapshot of the current thinking and development perspectives on the installation and design of screw piles within the framework of Eurocode 7. The material included provides background on the various aspects of screw piles, with particular reference to stiff clays: 1. Exptensive description of a multi-million Euros research program on the loading behaviour of screw piles; 2. Geological and geotechnical characterization of Boom clay, and overview of screw pile testing over the last 30 years; 3. Results of the various load tests recently performed on 30 piles: static, dynamic, statnamic, and integrity and outcome of an international prediction event; 4. Tentative translation of the current body of knowledge in terms of potential application rules to be soon ascenrtained at the national level, as required by Eurocode 7. The remarkable aspects of the soil displacement piles covered in this book is an exceptionally low variability of geotechnical parameters,installation performance, and pile capacity calculations.