Basic engineering principles are offered in non-technical language that the builder can put to use on his jobs. Includes understanding engineering requirements on the plans and how to meet them, sizing of structural members using only preliminary plans, and requirements for steel, concrete, and masonry.

The primary goal of this book is to present the fundamentals of the technical aspects of residential construction.

The beam and lumber requirements for your jobs aren't always clear, especially with changing building codes and lumber products. If you need to figure any type of on-the-job lumber engineering, this book will help fill the gap between what you can find in building code span tables and the complex calculations that you need to hire a certified engineer to do. The book covers most building types and framing systems, including door, window and roof framing. And there's a chapter on connections, retrofitting with anchor bolts, framing anchors and tie-downs, plus the latest requirements for cross-bridging and anchoring. Also included is an important chapter on designing concrete formwork -- figuring the pressures, tolerances, and thickness for plywood, Plyform, composition, and fiber-reinforced plastic. In the back of the book you'll find a computer disk with an easy-to-use version of Northbridge Software's Wood Beam Sizing "TM". Just follow the step-by-step instructions in the program to find out what size member you need for the spans and loads that you require based on the wood species that you're using. Requires Windows 3.1 or higher.

The leading guide to professional home construction—now updated and revised! Fundamentals of Residential Construction, Third Edition features the most up-to-date explanations of today's residential construction systems. From foundation to roof and exterior finishes to interior details, this new edition thoroughly addresses the latest developments in materials and methods of house construction, including energy efficiency, framing, and roofing. Abundantly illustrated with more than 1,250 drawings and photographs, including new photorealistic illustrations that bring the text to life, this Third Edition provides authoritative coverage on wood light-frame construction, industrialized systems of construction, insulating concrete forms, light-gauge steel frame, panelized construction, and a new chapter on multifamily construction. Topics covered include: Plumbing Building codes Heating and cooling Financing Wiring Roofing Thermal insulation Environmental concerns Foundations Finish sitework Rough sitework Wood and light-gauge steel framing Engineered materials Exterior and interior finishes Organized in a logical, easy-to-follow format, Fundamentals of Residential Construction, Third Edition is the one-stop source for building professionals to gain a working knowledge of codes, management procedures, material, and all home building concerns.

Concrete can be a pretty unforgiving building material. Ask any of the builders who come into your store and they'll usually have a horror story to share about a concrete job gone awry and how much it cost them.Basic Concrete Engineering for Builders may be one of the only books available today that explains how to avoid common concrete problems with foundations, slabs, columns, and more. It gives step-by-step explanations on how to plan, mix, reinforce and pour concrete. It also shows how to design concrete for buildings -- the calculations, the tables, and the rules of thumb, with examples and insight into the working knowledge that every builder needs.Most builders don't end up specifying requirements for structural concrete work. That's the job of an engineer. But most builders working with concrete need a good general understanding of the concepts behind structural concrete engineering. They need to know about: surveying, foundation layout, formwork, form materials, forming problems, aggregates, admixtures, reinforcing, mixing and placing requirements, pumping, creating joints, curing, and testing the concrete's strength. They need to know basic design for walls, columns, slabs, slabs-on-grade, one- and two-way slabs, elevated slabs, equipment pads, pre-cast walls, retaining walls, basement walls, crib walls, reinforcing beams and girders, driveways, sidewalks, curbs, catch basins, manholes and other miscellaneous structures, as well as how to calculate the reinforcement needed for these structural components. You'll find all this information in this book and on the software included in the back.Includes Free Engineering Software: A CD-ROM is included with easy-to-useengineering software for designing simple concrete elements for beams, slabs and columns.