Book excerpt: Drilled shafts have been used on a limited scale for many years as an alternative to driven piles in a variety of foundation problems. However, uncertainty about the behavior of the drilled shaft has forestalled widespread adoption. The subject package, by Dr. Lymon C. Reese of the University of Texas, is intended for use by bridge engineers, geotechnical engineers, and builders of pile foundations. The manual contains rational procedures and practical guidelines for the design and construction of drilled shaft foundations. Volume I presents a rational design procedure for drilled shafts under axial loading and includes guidelines on construction methods, inspection, load testing, specifications, and cost estimates. Volume II presents alternative methods for computing the response of the shaft to lateral loading and presents the structural design of the shaft for axial and/or lateral loading.