Book Review

This report contains proposed specifications for the design and construction of soil-nailed retaining structures. Despite their advantages in cut applications, these structures are not available to some state DOTs, due to the lack of guidance for their use in AASHTO's standard specifications based on load and resistance factor design (LRFD).

This New York Times bestselling book is filled with hundreds of fun, deceptively simple, budget-friendly ideas for sprucing up your home. With two home renovations under their (tool) belts and millions of hits per month on their blog YoungHouseLove.com, Sherry and John Petersik are home-improvement enthusiasts primed to pass on a slew of projects, tricks, and techniques to do-it-yourselfers of all levels. Packed with 243 tips and ideas—both classic and unexpected—and more than 400 photographs and illustrations, this is a book that readers will return to again and again for the creative projects and easy-to-follow instructions in the relatable voice the Petersiks are known for. Learn to trick out a thrift-store mirror, spice up plain old roller shades, "hack" your Ikea table to create three distinct looks, and so much more.

Introduces Beginners to Computer Programming

With construction techniques becoming ever more complex, and population pressure leading to the development of increasingly problematic sites, expertise in the area of soil structure interaction is crucial to architectural and construction industries worldwide. This book contains the proceedings of the ISSMGE Technical Committee 207 International Conference on Geotechnical Engineering - Soil Structure Interaction and Retaining Walls - held in St Petersburg, Russia, in June 2014. The conference was dedicated to the memory of the outstanding geotechnical expert Gregory Porphyryevich Tschebotarioff. Topics covered at the conference included: soil structure interaction, underground structures and retaining walls, site investigation as a source of input parameters for soil structure interaction, and interaction between structures and frozen soils. The papers included here are the English language papers. Papers presented by the authors in Russian are published by the Georeconstruction Institute of St. Petersburg.

Wood-framed shear walls are a crucial part of modern residential and small commercial buildings. Shear walls resist wind and earthquake forces to protect buildings from collapse. This book explains the engineering principles involved with shear wall design and proper construction. It is written in non-technical language intended for carpenters and builders. The basic, unchanging physical principles are explained with illustrated examples. This guide goes into detail that no other book on the subject even approaches. Over 180 pages and 150 color photos and illustrations show actual construction conditions and examples of proper and improper installations. It is extensively indexed for quick reference to specific topics. A detailed two-page illustration shows many basic requirements in graphical format for easy guidance. Specific sections of the International Building Code and International Residential Code are referenced where appropriate. This edition includes a new chapter on earthquake strengthening methods for existing buildings. This chapter was itself expanded into a completely separate book (over 250 pages) titled "Earthquake Strengthening for Vulnerable Homes." The book is intended mostly for carpenters and builders, but engineers and building inspectors also find the information very useful. Engineers may learn methods to make their shear wall designs more efficient and effective. An extensive inspection checklist (over 70 items) is included. This checklist is the basis for Special Inspection Guidelines for Wood-Frame Construction, currently under development by the Structural Engineers Association of Northern California.