This manual supplies facts concerning the control of soils during military construction. It is designed as a guide to the military engineer for evaluating existing or potential soil conditions, for predicting soil behavior under varying conditions, and for assisting him to reach satisfactory solutions of the more simple problems dealing with foundations and earthwork construction encountered in military operations.This manual discusses briefly the formation and characteristics of soil and covers in detail the system used by the army to classify soils; classification systems used by other agencies also are presented. It discusses the movement of water through soils and frost action; the compressibility and shearing resistance of soils also receive attention. The bearing capacity of soils which serve as foundations is analyzed in some detail. The manual also deals with slopes, embankments, dikes, dams, and earth-retaining structures. The final chapter covers subsurface soil exploration. Emphasis is placed on construction throughout the manual.