Publisher's Synopsis
An account of building and engineering structures which provides a unified introduction to the subject. It concentrates on practical and physical actions and functions rather than theory, hence allowing the engineer a broad overview of design techniques.;An historical thread runs through the text, showing how the development of structures has been largely dependent on the materials available and on the construction techniques and scientific understanding of the time. It covers the behaviour of structures, their safety, their design and some spectacular failures. Emphasis is placed on how forces are transmitted through structures and on the stresses and deformations these forces produce rather than on the mathematical analysis of force and stress.
