Charles Prelini

Charles Prelini was a civil engineer and technical author whose work focused on the hard realities of construction and infrastructure. Contemporary editions of his books identify him as a professor of civil engineering at Manhattan College in New York, and his writing shows a strong interest in turning field experience into practical instruction.

He wrote on subjects that were central to growing cities and public works, including Tunneling: A Practical Treatise, Dredges and Dredging, Earth and Rock Excavation, and Graphical Determination of Earth Slopes, Retaining Walls and Dams. These books helped document the methods, tools, and engineering judgment used in major excavation and underground projects at the start of the modern industrial era.

Today, Prelini is best remembered as a specialist writer who made demanding civil-engineering topics easier to study. His books still stand out for their direct, workmanlike approach and for the window they give into the techniques of their time.