29 of 29 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Good, but a ways to go..., July 18, 2002
This review is from: Structural Engineering Reference Manual (Hardcover)
While there are several good sources for worked sample problems available, as far as I know this is the first true review manual for the NCEES Structural Engineering Exams. I for one am glad someone finally brought book like this to market. Having worked with it for several months now, I must say my impression is that while quite good, it may have been rushed to market a bit prematurely. In light of the relatively hefty price tag, it seems like there should be a bit more depth. Concise is one thing, but Williams typically launches into a subject with little or no commentary, opting instead to let the equations do the talking. If you have a question about assumptions or how to apply an equation you're left scrambling for other references. I may be a bit spoiled having just used PPI's Mechanical Engineering Reference Manual to earn my Mechanical PE license. This is the model Williams should follow for future revisions to his work. The MERM is a stand-alone document that both teaches you the basics of a subject and documents all the required data and formulas. I would imagine by the time this book has been revised to include all it should it will have roughly doubled in thickness.
Another complaint I have concerns some major omissions. Where are wind loads for example? Where are the load reduction factors based on tributary area? Seismic loading is addressed, but where are the more basic topics of how to properly distribute the loads into the various structural members and details? To me this seems like an obvious requirement for a book like this. There should probably be a whole separate chapter addressing nothing but how to calculate and properly distribute the loads on a given structure.
My final comment concerns the number and depth of sample problems. There should be problems at the end of each chapter addressing each of the major topics covered in the chapter. This is not the case. Also, it would be nice to see a few samples of the long complex problems that typically show up on the SE II exam. Most of the problems in the book are of the easier SE I variety. This situation can be addressed by using some of the other references on the market. Let's hope there's more to come in the second edition.
On the upside, kudos to Mr. Williams for doing a great job referencing the relevant sections of the UBC. This should be a major time saver on the exam, and success on this type of exam is all about time management. Most authors don't go the extra mile to do this. Also, thanks for including the answers to the problems. With the MERM, the solutions are sold as a separate manual. Please don't get me wrong, there's a lot of good to be had with this book and there's really nothing else quite like it on the market right now. Williams has written the core of what could eventually be a "must have" book for all structural and civil engineers. It just has a ways to go...
P.S. If you buy this book, make sure to visit PPI's website for the errata updates. In this respect, PPI offers excellent product support. There are numerous errors listed for this book, a fact that again indicates to me it may have been published a bit hastily.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Concise, but Too Simplified, August 12, 2006
This review is from: Structural Engineering Reference Manual (Hardcover)
Come on, you need to know much more than what was in this book to be a structural engineer. I bought the 3rd edition right when it was fresh off the press to prepare for the NCEES Structural II exam in April 2006. I didn't take the Structural I exam so I can't say if this book is more tailored to that. However, I have to say I passed in spite of this book. The examples in the book are easy to follow, but for a good portion of them they only cover the easy special cases, not the more elaborate, more complicated variations. For how thin this book is, I think it is outrageously expensive. I was also disappointed that the concrete design aids are not updated to the current code with the revised factors.
Another waste of money was the 2003 IBC. They took out all those useful sections from 2000 and just say refer to ASCE-7. You would be fine just to get ASCE-7 for the exam and save some money.
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8 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Finally......, March 30, 2002
By A Customer
This review is from: Structural Engineering Reference Manual (Hardcover)
This is THE book to buy for the NCEES Structural I exam. There are so few decent books to study for the Structural I exam. I bought two other related books for my studies and returned them because they were garbage.
This book is exceedingly concise, while at the same time, exceedingly thorough. If you only buy one book to study for the Structural I exam, this should be it! I was surprised at how thin this book is (only about 1" thick), especially for the high price, but it is jam-packed with exactly the material you need to bone up on your topics. The material assumes a certain level of knowledge of the topics covered. It gives the essential formulas and references to the codes. The text, and figures are of high quality.
Thank you for such a great book.
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