The subject of earth pressure is one of the oldest and most extensive chapters in soil mechanics and foundation engineering and is one of the pillars of structural engineering. First the development of earth pressure theory is comprehensively described. The descriptions range from the first approaches to the determination of earth pressure through continuum mechanical earth pressure models to the integration of earth pressure research into the disciplinary structure of geotechnics. The main part of the book comprises a selection of current calculation basics. The aim is to provide a collection of working instructions for foundation and structural engineers in construction companies, consultants and in building supervision as well as students. In order to further theoretical understanding, the essential basics of the determination of earth pressure are first presented. Then the most important processes for active and passive earth pressure and at-rest earth pressure for practical application are dealt with, with spatial effects also being taken into account. The book sets out to provide brief information about rarely encountered questions with references to further literature. In recent years, the dependency of earth pressure on displacement has been paid ever more attention. This applies not just to the passive but also to the active case. Questions are repeatedly passed to the DIN committee "calculation processes". A selection of these is dealt with in the commentary to DIN 4085, which came out in September 2018. The history of earth pressure theory is supplemented by 40 selected short biographies of scientists and practical engineers, who have taken up the subject and further developed it over the years. The book also has two appendices with terms, formula symbols and indices as well as earth pressure tables.

Since 1949 the "Committee for Waterfront Structures" has operated on honorary base as a committee of the Society for Harbour Engineering (HTG), Hamburg, and since 1951 also as working group of the German Society for Geotechnics (DGGT), Essen. Its full designation reads "Committee for Simplification an Standardization of Calculation and Construction of Waterfront Structures", which also outlines its goals. Following on from the previous joint publications, this new edition of EAU 2004 contains the safety concept with partial safety factors in accordance with the Eurocodes or the European prestandards as well as with the new edition of the corresponding German standard, partially differing on account of practice experiences. The recommendations continue to satisfy the requirements for international acknowledgement and application with regard to planning, design tendering, the awarding of contracts, building and building supervision. Further, the inspection and accounting procedures for harbour and waterway constructions are given from uniform points of view.

The surface features of the Earth are commonly split into two cate gories, the first of which comprises those features that are due to processes occurring inside the solid Earth (endogenetic features) and the second those that are due to processes occurring outside the solid Earth (exogenetic features). Specifically, the endogenetic features are treated in the science of geodynamics, the exogenetic features in the science of geomorphology. I have treated the theoretical aspects of the endogenetic features in my "Principles of Geodynamics", and it is my aim to supplement my earlier book with a discussion of the theory of the exogenetic features. It is my hope that the two books will together present a reasonably coherent, if necessarily incomplete, account of theoretical geology. Contrary to endogenetic phenomena, exogenetic processes can often be directly observed as they occur: the action of a river, the development of a slope and the evolution of a shore platform are all sufficiently rapid so that they can be seen as they take place. This has the result that in geomorphology one is generally on much less speculative ground regard ing the mechanics of the processes at work than one is in geodynamics.

The recommendations have been completely restructured in this 12th (2020) edition of the EAU (10th English edition), the aim being to provide readers with a better, clearer arrangement of the chapters. In addition, the information published in the annual technical reports of the Waterfront Structures Committee since the publication of the 11th German edition have been incorporated in this new edition. The recommendations also take into account the new generation of standards consisting of Eurocode 7, the associated National Application Documents and supplementary national publications (DIN 1054:2010). In isolated instances, partial safety factors differing from those in the codes are specified on the basis of practical experience. Safety standards for ports, harbours and marine structures are therefore upheld. The recommendations satisfy the need for international acceptance in the planning, design, tendering, award of contract, construction, site supervision, acceptance and settlement of accounts for port, harbour and waterway facilities based on uniform approaches.