Description

Tims book on the theory of structures has been written by an architect and from an architect's point of view to enable the interested reader to grasp complex structural principles and design to the point at which the structural engineer takes over.

THE calculations incorporated are not regarded as an end in themselves as the work is intended for the architect, for architecture and building students and not so much for structural engineers. Many architecture students find the theory of structures a dull subject-a collection of formulae and graphic methods-to be learnt specially for examinations and soon forgotten.

This work attempts to set out the arguments which lead to decisions on the shapes of complex structural forms and their design implications. The formulae given should enable many of the simple calculations required in office practice to be worked out by the architect.

THE Overall approach to the problem should remove structural theory from the emotional plane of dislike to a new level of understanding, of, for example, shells and space frames, subjects which are often omitted from an elementary course on this theory.

THE book is suitable as additional reading for students taking architecture courses at British Schools of Architecture and as further reading for post-intermediate building course students working for their national diplomas or for building degrees, with particular reference to surveyors. It should also prove of interest to the layman and to teachers of science in grammar schools. There are over three hundred diagrams and forty-two photographs.

The author is in private practice and is also Visiting Lecturer and Tutor at the School of Architecture.

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