A high proportion of commercial, industrial and housing developments are now built on fills, that is ground that has been deposited by human activity rather than natural geological processes, and the political and commercial impetus to build on 'brownfield' land continues to grow. An adequate understanding of the behaviour of fills and the ways in which they can economically be rendered suitable for building purposes is a critical element in ensuring the safe development of such sites.

This third edition encompasses BRE's unique experience over a period of more than 40 years of research and consultancy, and brings the subject up to date. New material includes:

- research findings and industry experience since publication of the second edition 14 years ago

- additional chapters on ground improvement and treatment using both proprietary and non-proprietary techniques

- six new case histories and updated cases from the second edition

- studies on the behaviour of fills over both a longer time period and a wider range of fills.