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BOOK REVIEW

Introduction to Steelwork Design to BS 5950 - 1: 2000

Review by Michael Eatherley of Michael Barclay Partnership
The great virtue of the new introduction to BS 5950 - 1: 2000 is its clarity. It guides you through the formidable British Standard with a simple commentary and well chosen illustrations. The route taken deviates from the Standard, but it follows a sensible progression starting with the principles of limit state design via the properties of steel, local buckling, member design and on to the design of specific building structures. Each section of the guide starts with an introduction that briefly sets out the topic to be developed and closes with a summary of design procedure. This approach is especially helpful in giving a sense of direction that can sometimes be difficult to follow in the British Standard itself and also serves as a useful checklist. The publication does not claim to be a comprehensive guide with a detailed explanation of every clause and it generally makes the assumption that, where there is a choice, simple design is used in determining the forces in members. Its strength is that it may first be read through in a few hours to inspire confidence in a basic understanding of the principles of limit state design and also of the changes from BS 5950 - 1: 1985. It can then be used, with reference to the appropriate clauses and tables in the standard, to design a particular frame and its component parts. The guide will be useful for students and also for those of us who may be rusty or behind the times on steel design and perhaps a little too inclined to press the post-processor icon in our favourite software options box. However for a more detailed understanding of the full British Standard, it may be necessary to turn to the sources listed at the end of the Standard itself.

Introduction to steelwork design to BS 5950-1: 2000; A.G.J. Way and P.R. Salter; The Steel Construction Institute, 2003; (P325); price SCI corporate members 22.50, non-members 45 (plus p&p).

BOOK REVIEW

Steel Construction Manual

Review by Professor Raymond Ogden, Oxford Brookes University.
The German magazine Detail is one of the most interesting architectural periodicals. Now available entirely in English, the magazine focuses on high quality buildings, and supports its accounts of these with useful explanations and line drawings that clearly illustrate how the buildings are constructed. This juxtaposition of design and detailing is genuinely successful. In the same way that the Architects Journal has spun off the highly successful Working Details publications Detail has spun off a series of publications exploring the use of particular materials in architecture. One of these is the Steel Construction Manual. This weighty volume comes in at a little over 400 pages. Like the magazine the text (available in either English or German) is supported by exquisitely drafted line drawings. The book is a comprehensive compendium of general steel information, with 54 case studies that review some of the most eminent examples of steel construction from the past few decades. The book begins with a short history of steel, reviews its material properties, looks at issues of shaping and culminates with an overview of structural design. These are worthy but perhaps not hugely different to content available in other similar publications. Where the book really finds its stride is in the case studies. These are generally two or four pages long, and are a fascinating, thoughtful and often inspiring collection of buildings written up in a way that is true to the successful formula that Detail has developed. Some are little know schemes: small housing developments or industrial buildings. Others are the most famous examples of steel construction: Grimshaws Waterloo International Terminal and Fosters Frankfurt Bank. In combination they are grounds enough to find space on the bookshelf. If only they were in colour!

Steel Construction Manual Schulitz Sobek Habermann Birkhauser, Germany, 2000, 403 pp, ISBN 3-7643-618181-5, www.birkauser.ch/books/val/6181c.htm

NEW BOOK

Steel Construction Yearbook 2004 SPECIAL OFFER OF 25 UNTIL 31 MARCH

The SCI first published an annual directory, The Steel Construction Yearbook, in 1990. This invaluable working document contains the most comprehensive products and suppliers information and a large editorial section covering topical subjects of interest to the Steel Construction Industry. It is one of the most favoured publications for the steel sector and related trades in which to promote their products and services. The 2004 edition of the Yearbook includes the following sections: Sources of information. Building structures. Civil engineering, including bridges. Light gauge steel construction. Fabrication services.* Welding services.* Cranes and lifting.* Software.* Fire engineering. Corrosion protection. Testing services.* Investigators and arbitrators and expert witnesses.* Stainless steel products. Non-structural applications. Steel producers, stockholders and suppliers.

The Steel Construction Yearbook, 2004; Ed: Farooq Awan; The Steel Construction Institute, P 330; ISBN 1 85942 147 4; Price 50 (plus P&P) Order online http://shop.steelbiz.org or Telephone 01344 872 775

*New main categories introduced in the 2004 edition

NEW BOOK

Architectural Design in Steel

Architectural Design in Steel is a design guide to the detailing of exposed steelwork in buildings. It offers architects a broad appreciation of the factors leading to the selection of the structure and its details. Technical guidance is given and general principles outlined, and examples of best practice are provided. It covers all aspects from manufacture to detailing, specification of finishes and fabrication, providing architects, as well as engineers, with essential information to inform the design. The publication covers most aspects of the architectural uses of non-stainless steel in internal and external applications. The different types of structural members, frames and their connections are identified and common details are presented. Examples of expressive use of steel are presented, including arches, tension structures, masts and glazing support systems. Connections between members, especially tubular connectors and cast steel nodes are covered in detail. Technical information is provided on fire and corrosion protection, and penetrations through the building envelope although the implications of recent changes dealing with thermal bridging have not been covered by this publication. Reference is also made to other publications for more detailed guidance. The work was funded by Corus and the former Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions under the Partners in Technology initiative.

Leipzig Messe (Architect: Von Gerkan Marg Partners and Ian Ritchie) Photographer: Jocelyne
van den Bossche

Architectural Design in Steel; Peter Trebilcock and Mark Lawson; Taylor and Francis Books, 2003; ISBN 0-419-24490-5; price 45 (plus P&P) Order online http://shop.steelbiz.org or Telephone 01344 872 775.