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Review: Empirical Structural Design For Architects, Engineers and Builders

The book 'Empirical Structural Design for Architects, Engineers and Builders' by Thomas Boothby is a useful resource for producing preliminary structural sizes, but its focus on the US market limits its applicability for UK professionals. While it simplifies structural design for non-engineers, it contains several inaccuracies regarding UK standards and terminology. Overall, it serves its purpose for US-based professionals but may not fully meet the needs of those in the UK construction industry.

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7 views1 page

Review: Empirical Structural Design For Architects, Engineers and Builders

The book 'Empirical Structural Design for Architects, Engineers and Builders' by Thomas Boothby is a useful resource for producing preliminary structural sizes, but its focus on the US market limits its applicability for UK professionals. While it simplifies structural design for non-engineers, it contains several inaccuracies regarding UK standards and terminology. Overall, it serves its purpose for US-based professionals but may not fully meet the needs of those in the UK construction industry.

Uploaded by

KemoH
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Opinion

Book review thestructuralengineer.org

Review Owen Brooker finds this to be a useful book for anyone wanting to produce preliminary
structural sizes, although its value to UK professionals is reduced by a focus on the USA.

Empirical Structural It might be considered that providing


information in metric sizes would be
appropriate, and some attempt has been
Design for Architects, made to verify that the information is
appropriate for the UK. Unfortunately, the
Engineers and two markets would appear to be quite
different and the following are a sample of

Builders the examples of the problems areas.


 There is a table of preferred options by
building type and material, but this does
Author: Thomas Boothby not reflect the typical solutions adopted
Publisher: ICE Publishing in the UK.
Price: £40.00  The most widely used concrete block size
ISBN: 978-0-72776-207-8 in the UK is 440mm × 100mm × 215mm
and yet this is missing from the list of UK
‘CMUs’ (concrete masonry units).
For a structural engineer, a book that there is a description of how it works as a  Steel sections intended for use as
purports to simplify structural design structural element, and for each appropriate columns are referred to as ‘W-shape’ and
to some empirical rules will raise some material discussion on the factors that are these are not defined in the glossary.
questions – in particular, should a publication important, along with some tables giving After looking this up, it appears ‘W’ is not
of this type be marketed as appropriate guidance on determining suitable initial the shape after all but refers to ‘wide’
for non-engineers such as architects and sizes. Often tables with available sizes are flanged.
builders? given alongside explanatory diagrams and  It is stated that the most common timber
One view is that structural design photographs. width is 38mm, which might be true for
should be left to the structural engineer, Within the text there are short examples timber trusses, but for floor joists 50mm
whose views should be sought as early as of how to apply the simple rules and then, is the preferred size.
possible in the development of a project. An at the end of each chapter, there are some  The minimum dimension for a concrete
alternative view might be that other building exercises; although there do not appear to column is given as 450mm. This may have
professionals would benefit from being be any suggested solutions to the exercises. been stated in an older version of the US
informed about the structural requirements Overall, the content does match the blurb concrete standard, but in the UK for most
and have some idea of the sizes for typical on the back cover: it reduces preliminary buildings this would be considered to be a
structural elements. This book is written design to simple rules that are easy to large column, not a minimum size.
specifically for the non-engineer and it does use and look up. Therefore, it should be a
clearly explain, in simple terms, the structural useful book for anyone wanting to produce The publication’s objective is to make
arrangements for a large range of building preliminary structural sizes for a range of building industry professionals able to
types, covering the four main structural building types. converse intelligently in decisions about
materials. However, it has serious flaw – it is slanted determining the building structure, and
There would not appear to be an intention heavily towards the US market. The author generally it meets this objective for those
to remove the requirement for a professional is Professor of Architectural Engineering working in the US market.
structural engineer on a project, as Chapter at The Pennsylvania State University. The
1 notes the book is not a substitute for building types discussed, the terminology,
Owen Brooker
engaging an engineer. There is also a section the majority of the tables for elements sizes,
BEng, CEng, MIStructE, MICE, MCS
on ‘when to consult an engineer’ in the final photographs and drawings are all for the US
chapter. market. An attempt has been made to make Owen Brooker is Technical Director of Modulus,
The publication is laid out by member type, the content appropriate for the UK market structural consultants, and chair of the Institution’s
and as well as walls, beams, etc. includes by quoting metric sizes and by providing the Technical Publications Panel. He also provides
guidance for stability systems, trusses examples twice, once for the USA and the training for the CM exam candidates and is a
and connections. For each member type other the UK. marking examiner.

38 August 2018 | TheStructuralEngineer

TSE79_38_Book Review.indd 38 19/07/2018 11:26

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