Customer Reviews

Building Pathology: Deterioriation, Diagnostics, and Intervention

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

When I received this book I was shocked that a credible publisher like Wiley accepted it.. It is one of the worst professional books I have ever examined. It is poorly organized, extremely pretentious, and lacks credibility. The usable content could be reduced to a few pages, and much of the book is full of irrelevant formulas and lengthy descriptions of overly simplistic concepts. If the author has any advanced knowledge about building pathology, he isn't sharing it with his readers. I expected this book to be professional reference, but despite its pretensions, this book is very basic. As a registered architect with over 20 years of experience in this field, I found this book completely lacking in basic building pathology topics such as industry-accepted testing procedures, historic building technologies, and standards for building assemblies. There were very few case histories, and the few that were described were very brief, with little in-depth discussion. The book also has an inadequate number of illustrations and photographs. A book like this should have been organized by material type, instead of the strange vertical/horizontal method used. Books produced by the ASTM on this topic are far superior to this one, and should be a starting point for a collection of professional literature on the subject. Preservation books like Martin Weaver's "Conserving Buildings" or the Ashursts' Practical Conservation series are more useful for discussions about traditional details and building materials. Dov Kaminetzky's "Design and Construction Failures" is also a good reference. Alexander Newman's "Structural Renovation of Buildings" also has a good discussion of failure and deterioration mechanisms. Unfortunately "Building Pathology" is not the comprehensive reference book needed for this field.

Worthless is a tough word, but I must concur with the extremely negative review. The section on mortar and concrete deterioration is remarkable in its ignorance and complete disregard of any of the knowledge, studies, and science reflected in extensive and widely published materials such as ASTM and ACI addressing decay of cementitious materials.

I use source materials in litigation, and search for publications that are incisive, to the point, and supported by peer-reviewed publications. I blew over a C-note when I bought this turkey on line, because, other than a doorstop or a paperweight with a picture of Falling Waters, THIS WORK OFFERS NOTHING OF USE.

This is a 'must read' book for anyone working with, owning, or just caring about older buildings. Harris has the ability to inform and excite both the professional at work as well as the lay person that just needs a better understanding of the deterioration mechanisms in aging buildings. The depth and the clarity of his writing is sufficient to satisfy both needs.

Building Pathology will be a valuable resource in our office. It not only teaches why older materials and systems fail, it encourages the design of current material environments in a way that avoids or delays the necessary and sufficient conditions required for future failures. I expect to make this book required reading for the entire office.

This is a truly great book that should be closely read by all building envelope and structural professionals who investigate failures or leakage in new or historic buildings. The depth and breadth of the information provided far exceeds that available in any comparable resource. The book is not meant to provide a step-by-step technical or 'how-to' guide for a building investigator or restorer; instead, it presents an in-depth review of the basic fundamental mechanisms of building stress, leakage and deterioration. If you are not interested in how Poiseuille's Law is a critical limiting factor for potential water infiltration into a porous building material, then this book is not what you are looking for. It is not a light read. The writing often is congested or repetitive and deserving of better editing. However, as a whole, the book is an extremely valuable and comprehensive resource that is unique to the field. Highly recommended.

As a practicing architect I like books to get to the point of providing me with usable information that I can apply to projects that I am working on. Sams book not only provides me with a direct approach to building pathology, but provides a usable process of building evaluation that can be applied to problems that arise on many of my restoration, new or rehab projects. A must for every practicioner.