Concrete Construction Manual

Rating:
Summary: German through and through
Review: Craftsmanship is to the Germans what style is to the French, tradition is to the British, or independence is to the Americans, and it shows in these books: the drawings, coated paper, printing, and so on are all head and shoulders above the competition. The basic format for all the books is the same--history, followed by science and engineering, followed by examples. In this book, the technical section emphasizes structural matters, with a large chapter on precast construction. There's nothing on reinforcement requirements because they're covered in building codes. Shell structures are discussed, and another chapter covers surface finishes. The translation to English is OK but lacks the nuances that make for pleasant reading.

Too bad there is nothing for the US architect of this quality, because all the technical references are to German or European standards. But they're educational nonetheless.