Fundamentals of Building Construction: Materials and Methods [Hardcover]

Edward Allen (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0471183490 | ISBN-13: 978-0471183495 | Publication Date: December 7, 1998 | Edition: 3

This Third Edition of the classic Fundamentals of Building Construction offers a panoramic view of today's construction systems-from foundation to roof, exterior cladding to interior finishes. Every common system of construction is covered, including wood light frame construction, heavy timber, masonry, steel, sitecast concrete, and precast concrete. New chapters offer coverage of light gauge steel frame construction and detailed information on selecting windows and doors.

Architect and author Edward Allen addresses the history, theory, and practice of each type of construction, including typical details of assembly. The lucid text is supported by more than 600 photographs and 400 line drawings, many of them arranged in sequences that illustrate construction operations step-by-step. More than 200 of the illustrations were prepared especially for this new edition. These include photographs of recent work by Horst Berger, Helmut Jahn, Cesar Pelli, Frank Gehry, Eric Owen Moss, Steven Holl, and Suzane Reatig.

This book is an essential reference for students of architecture, civil engineering, and construction technology. It finds everyday use in virtually every architecture firm in North America.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

This Third Edition of the classic Fundamentals of Building Construction offers a panoramic view of today's construction systems-from foundation to roof, exterior cladding to interior finishes. Every common system of construction is covered, including wood light frame construction, heavy timber, masonry, steel, sitecast concrete, and precast concrete. New chapters offer coverage of light gauge steel frame construction and detailed information on selecting windows and doors.

Architect and author Edward Allen addresses the history, theory, and practice of each type of construction, including typical details of assembly. The lucid text is supported by more than 600 photographs and 400 line drawings, many of them arranged in sequences that illustrate construction operations step-by-step. More than 200 of the illustrations were prepared especially for this new edition. These include photographs of recent work by Horst Berger, Helmut Jahn, Cesar Pelli, Frank Gehry, Eric Owen Moss, Steven Holl, and Suzane Reatig.

This book is an essential reference for students of architecture, civil engineering, and construction technology. It finds everyday use in virtually every architecture firm in North America.

About the Author

Edward Allen, A.I.A., was a member of the faculties of Yale University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and has frequently taught as a guest at other institutions across the United States. His teaching career spans more than 30 years. In his architectural practice he has designed more than 50 constructed buildings. He is the best-selling author of The Architects Studio Companion, Architectural Detailing, Shaping Structures: Statistics, and the first and second editions of Fundamentals of Building Construction, all published by Wiley.

Joseph Iano is a practicing architect in Seattle, Washington.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 864 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 3 edition (December 7, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0471183490
• ISBN-13: 978-0471183495
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.4 x 1.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #271,099 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

33 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Surpassed expectations, May 28, 2004

By 

Kevin Heddy (Chico, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Fundamentals of Building Construction: Materials and Methods (Hardcover)

Being a student in Construction Management Edward Allen's book was assigned as our text book. The course entitled materials and methods is intended to teach future construction manajors about the wide variety of materials on the market today as well as tradional methods of constructing with these materials.
The book is chalked full of knowledge most of which would take a person hours, even days of research to uncover with other sources. It is very comprehensive. If you are active in the comercial building construction this book is a must for your refrence shelf. Residential construction owners/workers would gain considerable knowledge from the book it has plenty of useful information however I feel the book is leaning more towards heavy commercial.

32 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book on Construction, April 3, 2000

By 

[e-mail] (US) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Fundamentals of Building Construction: Materials and Methods (Hardcover)

Simply put, this is one of the best technical textbooks I've ever read. It's basic stuff for someone just starting out in the discipline of architecture, but I'm keeping it as a reference for future professional use. It is clearly written and well illustrated and worth it's high price. I wish Allen would now write a book on Environmental Control Systems--everything in that field is too dry and too technical.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Resource, December 27, 2007

By 

Mary M. Blocker "Flood Peach" (ATL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Fundamentals of Building Construction: Materials and Methods (Hardcover)

I am still using my 1985 Edition! It is a resource you will want to keep around. The technical background and drawings are great! It has some of everything - residential and nonresidential. Thanks Edward Allen-great book.