ICE manual of construction law
The ICE manual of construction law is one of a series manuals being published by ICE covering a range of topics from law, health and safety (see below) through to structural design.
This manual has been written by over 20 leading construction law practitioners in the UK . It covers a full breadth of topics including planning, financing, procurement and insurance as well as different types of operational issues such as joint ventures, international offices and consulting engineers' appointments. Section 3 covers general law and section 4 covers construction disputes, so the manual deals with the whole construction project lifecycle from initial planning to dispute resolution.
Despite the many contributors, each chapter is consistent in language and format with the text written from a non-legal perspective, making it a relatively easy read for non-specialists. Each chapter begins with a helpful summary providing an overview of the topic. The chapters are well structured and broken down into shorter topics that are easy to follow. Throughout the text there are references to case law, relevant legislation and further legal guidance, with a useful summary of all references at the end of each chapter, including lists of relevant websites.
This book is an excellent and comprehensive guide to construction law and provides a very easy-to-use reference guide for practising engineers and project managers. Every office library should have a copy.
ICE manual of health and safety in construction
The ICE manual of health and safety in construction is a comprehensive practical manual on health and safety for construction professionals. It provides a resource for clients, contractors designers and workers, enabling them to consider their responsibilities and use the information and further reference sources to work towards eliminating accidents and ill health in the construction industry.
I found it a highly useful revision of knowledge which I have picked up over a career in engineering, but for graduate engineers starting in the profession it would be a wonderful manual to create a framework of understanding which they could develop further with their own experience.
The book is a collaborative effort from many highly qualified eminent contributors and has been edited to present each chapter in a similar format and style, making it readable and informative without being dull. I read the whole book through and found it interestingly presented and well written and would strongly recommend it.
There are both moral and financial incentives to improve our approach to health and safety management and this manual will be a useful knowledge store to assist current and future generations of industry professionals to deliver the aim of ‘zero harm’.
Planning major projects
Roger Allport's timing is impeccable; scrutiny of the planning, delivery and subsequent operation of major projects in the UK has scarcely been more intense. He deftly signals and demonstrates the means to increase effectiveness and, importantly, he does so in a way that allows us to extract what is applicable and relevant to us and leave that more suited to other projects.
Using the example of urban rail projects to good effect, the author draws on his extensive experience of such programmes to lay down a methodology that seeks to furnish planners, government, stakeholders and sponsors with the ability to exploit the opportunities available to develop projects that ‘succeed in serving societies' needs’. Perhaps most importantly, the author provides a view that is both pragmatic and straightforward. In today's environment, his assertions that long-term flexibility in operational form and the importance of identifying ‘the right project’ in the face of often unfounded optimism ring eminently true as do the great many thoughtful assertions drawn.
Allport's methodology, examples and conclusions for the management of major projects are insightful and form a sound basis for development and improvement; I sincerely hope that his objectives are realised in major projects of the future
Steel-concrete composite buildings. Designing with Eurocodes
David Collings has considerable experience in this field, as evidenced in his previous book Steel–concrete composite bridges, and he has been part of the design team in a large number of steel–concrete composite projects.
This is an excellent original work, combining the theoretical aspects of Eurocodes with practical case studies, making it an easy read. Its structure has been well thought out, ranging from basic concepts to more complex topics such as braced frames. The quality and number of the figures is generally good.
The author's experience in the field is reflected by the cases he presents as examples of the different concepts he describes in the book. These examples will be of great use to the reader both as an aid to understanding the concepts involved and in acquiring experience of real situations.
Structural engineers and final-year students will find this book particularly useful. There is no doubt that the author has done a good job and that readers will find it full of valuable information.
Reinforced concrete design of tall buildings
This is a state-of-the-art manual including many case studies on modern tall concrete-framed buildings. It provides up-to-date authoritative design guidance using the latest revisions of American Concrete Institute (ACI) and American Society of Civil Engineers (AS CE) codes.
The author is an experienced US engineer with a bronze medal from the Institution of Structural Engineers for a paper presented in London. He attempts to fill the increasing gap between imaginative thinking and computer skills in carrying out conceptual design.
The book is a good resource in support of teaching and learning conceptual design of structures. Traditional and new structural concepts are presented in an easy-to-understand language with associated illustrations and worked examples. I highly recommend it to civil and structural engineering students, practitioners and academics with an interest in tall buildings.
Me and my web shadow: how to maintain your reputation online
Given that it is now increasingly common for civil engineers to register with one or more of the professional networking sites, advice on maintaining a ‘web shadow’ is especially important. This book gives useful advice to anyone who wants to limit the damage that may already have been done, the best advice being, ‘be the first and best source of information about yourself on the web’.
Not only do you need to be careful with what you post up, your family and friends also place material on the web whether you like it or not. The advice is that you should regularly check your web shadow, and it is simple to set up an automatic search to report activity connected with your name. If friends post material that you would prefer remains private ask them quickly (and privately) to remove it. Advice is given on how to maintain separate business and personalonly profiles online.
Damage limitation aside, it is vital to build and manage a professional public profile to advertise your skills, knowledge and abilities. This is an essential read for anyone who wishes to manage their career rather than allow it to happen to them.
Post-disaster reconstruction: lessons from Aceh
Most people remember the devastating tsunami which hit the Indian Ocean on 26 December 2004. This book focuses on the enormous reconstruction effort in the Aceh province of Sumatra in Indonesia.
It is not a book on construction and engineering techniques, but it does offer a fascinating analysis of some of the historical, cultural, political and religious pressures in the region and identifies lessons for anyone involved in post-disaster or post-conflict reconstruction.
While a lot of the lessons learned are specific to the region, there are transferable lessons for other locations, particularly in how properly to engage with the recipients of aid and how to respect their culture to deliver what is best for them.
Sappers Six
This tale by an ICE fellow is aimed at pre-teenage kids. It is well thought out, presented in a readable form and appropriate for the development of keen young minds. It tells of the adventures of six young people who learn about the work of The Corps of Royal Engineers (‘sappers’) through their parents and teachers.
The book could be a useful aid for ICE membership development officers and the many who take on the role of ‘ambassador’, including visiting schools to attract new talent to the profession. It is an excellent introduction to engineering – albeit military rather than civil – and good value.
Full versions of these reviews can be read in the supplementary data to the online version of these pages at www.civilengineering-ice.com.
NEW BOOKS
The ICE’s bookshop in London carries one of the most comprehensive ranges of civil engineering books in the world. New books received in the past three months are as follows.
Construction in the landscape
Tom Carpenter£85·00
Dynasty of engineers: the Stevensons and the Bell Rock
Roland Paxton£20·00
Energy 2050
Jim Skea, Paul Eskins and Mark Winskel£49·99
Fundamentals of civil engineering: an introduction to the ASCE body of knowledge
Richard McCuen, Edna Ezzell and Melanie Wong£49·99
Integrated sustainable design of buildings
Paul Appleby£49·99
Introduction to building procurement
Brian Greenhalgh and Graham Squires£24·99
The art of structures
Aurelio Muttoni£34·99
Understanding soils in urban environments
Pam Hazelton and Brian Murphy£29·99
Understanding the CDM 2007 Regulations (2nd edition)
Owen Griffiths and Alun Griffiths£29·99
ICE manual of construction law
Vivian Ramsey, Ann Minogue, Jenny Baster and Michael O’Reilly (eds)£120·00
Cost-benefit analysis: a practical guide (2nd edition)
Michael Snell£50·00
Water distribution systems
Dragan Savic and John Banyard (eds)£65·00
Stiff sedimentary clays (Géotechnique 2007 symposium in print)
Robert May (ed.)£55·00
Initial professional development for civil engineers
Mac Steels£25·00
The bookshop is in the ICE foyer, 1 Great George Street, London SW1P 3AA and is open from 9.30 am to 5.00 pm, Monday to Friday. Books can also be ordered by calling +44 20 7665 2019, emailing bookshop@ice.org.uk or by visiting www.ice.org.uk/bookshop.
