About the Book

The science of building construction and design is evolving more quickly than ever before. The second edition of this outstanding text builds on the previous version. It incorporates the latest updates available, features hundreds of new pieces of artwork, and is now in FULL COLOR! Written by an author team with decades of experience in architecture, building construction, engineering, and teaching, Building Construction: Principles, Materials & Systems 2nd Edition is a comprehensive and fully illustrated introduction to construction methods and materials.

Continuing on with the books unique organization, Principles of Construction are covered in Part One and Materials and Systems of Construction are covered in Part Two. This organization fosters a definitive understanding of general concepts before moving on to more complex concepts. Emphasizing a visual approach to learning, it includes more than 1,400 original illustrations and an extra large trim size (9” x 12”) that provides an open and inviting layout that students are sure to appreciate.

About the Author

Madan Mehta, B.Arch., M.Bdg.Sc., Ph.D., P.E., is a faculty member at the School of Architecture, University of Texas at Arlington, and teaches courses in construction and structures. He was previously the Director of the Architectural Engineering Program at King Fahd University, Saudi Arabia. A licensed professional engineer (Texas), Fellow of the Institute of Architects (India), and Member of the American Society of Civil Engineers, he has worked in India, Australia, the United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, and the United States. With academic credentials in both architecture and engineering, he ran a comprehensive architecture/engineering practice while working as a faculty member at the Delhi School of Architecture, and he worked for a large general contractor in the United States during a leave of absence. He is the author of several full-length books and monographs on building construction, architectural structures, and architectural engineering. Walter R. Scarborough, CSI, SCIP, AIA, is Vice President and Regional Manager for Hall Building Information Group, LLC. He is a specifications consultant and registered architect (Texas) with over 35 years of comprehensive technical architectural experience in specifications, document production, and construction contract administration. He has produced documents and administered construction for a large number and variety of building types. Previously the Director of Specifications for 10 years for one of the largest architectural firms in the world, he was responsible for building sciences research, manager of a department of specifiers, and master specification development and maintenance, in addition to being the specifier for major healthcare, sports, detention, municipal, and commercial projects, some valued in the hundreds of millions of dollars. He is active in the Construction Specifications Institute (CSI) at the local level (past president, secretary, and technical director) and national level (Education Committee and Practice Guide Task team), holds several CSI certifications, is Chairman of the Institute’s Education Committee, was awarded CSI’s prestigious J. Norman Hunter Memorial Award for advancing building sciences and specifications, and is the revision author for CSI’s Project Delivery Practice Guide and its associated education program. Diane Armpriest, M.L.A., M. Arch., is Associate Professor and Chair, Faculty of Architecture and Interior Design, College of Art and Architecture, University of Idaho. Before joining the faculty in 2001, she worked as an architectural project manager, and as a project developer and construction manager for neighborhood nonprofit housing providers. Her teaching and research interests include the pedagogy of architectural building construction technology, the expression of structure and materials in Northwest regional architecture, and the relationship between building and site. Previously, she was Associate Professor of Landscape Architecture at the University of Cincinnati. Highlights of her work there include research in resource-efficient design and construction and working with students on design-build projects.

Table of Contents:
Part 1: Principles Chapter 1 An Overview of the Building Delivery Process—How Buildings Come into Being Chapter 2 Construction Regulations and Standards Chapter 3 Loads on Buildings Chapter 4 Load Resistance—The Structural Properties of Materials Chapter 5 Properties of the Envelope–I: Thermal Properties Chapter 6 Properties of the Envelope–II: Air and Water Vapor Control Chapter 7 Fire-Related Properties Chapter 8 Acoustical Properties of Materials Chapter 9 Principles of Joints and Sealants (Expansion and Contraction Control) Chapter 10 Principles of Sustainable Construction Part 2: Materials and Systems Chapter 11 Soils and Excavations Chapter 12 Below-Grade Construction: Foundation Systems and Basements Chapter 13 Materials for Wood Construction–I (Lumber) Chapter 14 Materials for Wood Construction–II (Engineered Wood, Fasteners, and Connectors) Chapter 15 Wood Light Frame Construction–I Chapter 16 Wood Light Frame Construction–II Chapter 17 Structural Insulated Panel System Construction Chapter 18 The Material Steel and Steel Components Chapter 19 Structural Steel Construction Chapter 20 Light-Gauge Steel Construction Chapter 21 Lime, Portland Cement, and Concrete Chapter 22 Concrete Construction–I (Formwork, Reinforcement and Slabs-on-Ground) Chapter 23 Concrete Construction–II (Site-Cast and Precast Concrete Systems) Chapter 24 Masonry Materials–I (Mortar and Brick) Chapter 25 Masonry Materials–II (Concrete Masonry Units, Natural Stone, and Glass Masonry Units) Chapter 26 Masonry and Concrete Bearing Wall Construction Chapter 27 Exterior Wall Cladding–I (Principles of Rainwater Infiltration Control) Chapter 28 Exterior Wall Cladding–II (Masonry, Precast Concrete, and GFRC) Chapter 29 Exterior Wall Cladding–III (Stucco, EIFS, Natural Stone, and Insulated Metal Panels) Chapter 30 Glass, Glazing and Light-Transmitting Plastics Chapter 31 Windows and Doors Chapter 32 Exterior Wall Cladding–IV (Glass-Aluminum Wall Systems) Chapter 33 Roofing–I (Low-Slope Roofs) Chapter 34 Roofing–II (Steep Roofs) Chapter 35 Stairs Chapter 36 Floor Coverings Chapter 37 Ceilings Appendix A System of Units Appendix B Preliminary Sizing of Structural Members References and Further Reading Answers to Quizzes