Product Description

A comprehensive approach to building-related deterioration and intervention
This essential technical reference gives building professionals the knowledge and tools they need to better diagnose building-related deterioration, identify sound treatment options and solutions, and design to minimize performance problems on new projects. Combining a clear and accessible explanation of the principles and mechanisms of building deterioration with coverage of a broad array of intervention methods, it is a ready resource for anyone whose work is concerned with improving building performance.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #520385 in Books
• Published on: 2001-02-15
• Original language: English
• Dimensions: 1.77" h x 7.38" w x 10.37" l, 3.01 pounds
• Binding: Hardcover
• 672 pages

Review
"We can all benefit from his more than 30 years experience in making buildings work better." (APT Bulletin, June 2002)

Book Info
A technical reference for building pathologists, offering the knowledge and tools needed to diagnose building deterioration problems and devise sound treatment options and solutions. Provides an array of treatment methods and options for a number of building deterioration problems. DLC: Buildings--Defects.

From the Inside Flap
Building professionals often turn to formulaic prescriptions as a convenient and accepted means of treating building deterioration problems. However, while these techniques can be useful and easy to implement, they may not always result in the best solutions. In Building Pathology, Samuel Harris goes beyond boilerplate remedies to offer a more comprehensive and systematic approach to deterioration problems, diagnostics, and intervention. This approach not only helps professionals improve diagnostic skills by gaining a deeper understanding of the deterioration process, but also offers greater options for treating aging buildings and designing new structures for optimum performance.

Linking the underlying science to the many manifestations of problems, Harris clearly explains the principles and mechanisms of building deterioration, including why and how buildings deteriorate and what the symptoms look like. The information is presented in a straightforward and logical way, with separate chapters on major building systems-structural, vertical closure, horizontal closure, and active systems-that also address the performance and durability of specific materials.

In addition, the author opens up a wealth of valuable treatment choices and possibilities through his intervention matrix-a powerful "toolkit" of treatment methodologies that range from abstention and mitigation to circumvention and acceleration. Throughout the book, photographs and line drawings graphically illustrate the concepts and building problems discussed in the text.

Presenting a solid framework for addressing issues related to building performance, Building Pathology is an essential resource for practicing and aspiring architects, structural engineers, building contractors, preservationists, and others concerned with the health and survival of structures and their component systems.