Customer Reviews

Handbook of Structural Engineering, Second Edition

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The Handbook of Structural Engineering is a comprehensive reference source on the fundamentals of, and special topics in, structural engineering. The book is intended for practicing engineers, and the introduction notes that the ideal reader will be an "M.S.-level engineer." Consequently, treatment of subjects is highly technical and emphasizes mathematical explanations to an extent that it might be of limited use to novices.

The first section provides a detailed overview of the fundamentals of structural engineering. Following this introductory section are eight chapters covering special types of structures, and thirteen chapters on special topics in structural engineering. All chapters contain a brief glossary of key concepts discussed within the chapter, an extensive bibliography, suggested readings, and a list of relevant codes and standards where applicable.

This single volume includes chapters on topics as diverse as timber engineering, tunnel construction, fire engineering, bridges of all types, glass structures, fiber-reinforced polymer composites, and much more.

One exceptionally-helpful chapter in this book, in my opinion, is Chapter 23, on semirigid frame structures. Author Xu explains the concept of semirigid joints, summarizes the state-of-the-art knowledge in the field, and provides worked examples of problems involving semirigid-fixed beams and braced frames. The worked examples are especially helpful in that they each show the solution in a very step-by-step manner.