Description
Principles of Structure. This edition retains the style, format and most of the content of previous editions, and brings the text and examples into alignment with international practice and the mks (metre, kilogram, second) International System of units (SI). It also features six new international buildings as ‘applications’ of the principles described in the text.
While the computerisation and automation of structural engineering design continues apace, simple manual calculation still underpins most early stage structural design. To check the feasibility of an initial idea and to estimate approximate sizes for structural members, the manual methods explained in Principles of Structure remain quickest and simplest.
The text is intended primarily for undergraduate students of architecture — also students of building, and students in some project management and construction management courses. Since its first publication in 1974, it has been successful in meeting a consistent demand in these areas. While there are many introductory texts that remain entirely qualitative in their treatment of structural principles, students and teachers alike seem to prefer some quantitative coverage. Perhaps it is not possible to gain a durable appreciation of the engineer’s potential contribution to design through a wholly qualitative approach. Certainly the most effective dialogue between architect and engineer occurs when the architect comprehends something of the engineer’s quantitative language, and we believe this is best conveyed through simple mathematics.
The practice of structural engineering has expanded in recent years to address a range of issues beyond the core activities of structural analysis and design. These issues include: sustainability; analysis of complex geometries linked to post-modern architectural styles; and building information modeling together with the opportunities it brings for optimisation of design and fabrication.
These issues were often significant during structural design of the new building ‘applications’ described in this 5th edition. For example, establishing geometry, then carrying out structural analysis, joint modelling and fabrication scheduling for the steel frame of the CCTV building Beijing, and the main stadium for the 2008 Olympics, all relied heavily on computer methods, with various degrees of interoperability between architectural, engineering, and fabrication models.