The search for is more than a quest for a digital file—it is a search for clarity in a complex domain. F. H. Chen gave the engineering world a systematic, practical toolkit to fight expansive clays. His chapters on pier and beam design and chemical stabilization remain as applicable today as they were in 1988.
This is the most common solution for lightly loaded residential construction. Chen provides design tables for beam depth (minimum L/10 span) and steel reinforcement. Key insight: No internal beam should be less than 12 inches (300 mm) deep, and edge beams must extend below the active zone. foundations on expansive soils chen pdf
