Basic Engineering Calculations for Contractors

Clear, concise, and met my needs.

Nice reference

looked at it briefly, as i recall, it is more like a cook book, it has a bunch of formulas in it, instead of the matrix mathematics.... sean fielding smith usmc

I found the information helpful, easy to use and direct to the point.

I bought this book to perform some structural engineering calculations for a residential construction project. The book is filled with many (and I mean many) cases of calculations for structural loads. However, it doesn't provide the mathematics used to create each case. So, if your project is somewhat different than the example, there is no information provided to adapt the case to your situation.

Having examined this publication for use in education as well as for contractors I conclude that it is wholly unsuitable for use in the UK as it is written exclusively for the North American market. All the calculations and materials sizes/specifications are in imperial units. Also, some of the materials e.g. 'North American Timber and South American Timber' are generally not available as choices in the UK. Additionally, many of the more subjective items such as 'the amount of deflection allowed in a floor beam before being noticable' differs between our two cultures. Finally, some of the building practices outlined in the book e.g. cantilevered timber members would contravene Building Regulations and Health & Safety Regulations in the UK. This book does not import well and all in all is completely irrelevant for the UK.