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Space structures
Build. Sci.
Vol. 3, pp. 235-236. Pergamon Press 1969. Printed in Great Britain
BOOK REVIEWS
Space Structures Edited by R. M. DAVIES 1234 pp., £18 18s. Blackwell Scientific,rOxford, 1967. tures, although they would undoubtedly refer to individual sections or chapters (the cost of £18 18s. would be an additional deterrent). It would be essential for designers to have a reference copy in the library, since inevitably most if not all structural systems will have been touched upon. The volume covers such a wealth of information that no engineer working in the field of space structures could afford not to have a copy in his library. The practical aspect of design and construction are particularly well covered and responsible for well over half of all contributions. The official languages of the original symposium were English, French and German and it is unfortunate that the fifteen contributions in foreign languages have not been translated to English. The book is undoubtedly the first comprehensive volume on Space Structures and will remain without any real competition for many years to come. F. SAWKO
ON FIRST examination a reader is overwhelmed by the sheer size of the book, containing over 1200 pages and hundreds of drawings and photographs. A more detailed examination of contents reveals an attempt at a systematic division into seven parts (following an excellent introductory chapter by Professor Z. S. Makowski on the development of Space Structures) dealing with analysis, design and practice of space structures. It must be emphazised that the volume is based on over a hundred papers presented at the International Conference on Space Structures which took place in London in September 1966. "Chapters" in the book are in fact the individual papers and the vast majority are of excellent quality. However, unity and continuity of presentation are difficult if not impossible to achieve when contributions from all over the world are submitted and this lack of continuity is certainly reflected in the volume. The volume cannot, therefore, be recommended as a textbook for students of space struc-
Programme Management of Power Station Construction Edited by R. FARRALL 106 pp., £3 3s. C.E.G.B., London, 1968. THE BOOK consists of the edited proceedings of a symposium, the objects of which were, firstly, to consolidate the existing collaboration between the C.E.G.B., its civil engineering consultants and the suppliers of boilers, generators and other power station plant and, secondly, to point the way ahead. A number of panels looked at some of the major aspects of power station construction, e.g. civil engineering and site erection and at some of the major items of plant and equipment, e.g. boilers, turbo-generators, switchgear, control and instrumentation and cabling. Detailed papers were produced which had as their main theme the planning, monitoring and controlling of work by network analysis to enable integrated design and construction to proceed as fast and economically as possible. As might be expected, there were many pleas for the "freezing" of individual sections of the design by certain dates in order to avoid
the costly confusion which late changes tend to bring. A further noteworthy point is that the role of the Project Engineer was likened to that of the conductor of an orchestra whose primary responsibility was to co-ordinate numerous individual jobs but who, in many cases, found the "score" of his project to be incomplete. The recommendations of the panels as contained in the published papers (which consist of procedures and model programmes for various aspects of the work of power station construction) have been endorsed by the C.E.G.B. and are being implemented in conjunction with contractors and civil engineering consultants. Being in reported form, the book is difficult to read and although its mass of detail may form a valuable work of reference for the specialist, it is unlikely to be of more than passing interest to the general reader. B. WHITEHEAD 235
Vol. 3, pp. 235-236. Pergamon Press 1969. Printed in Great Britain
BOOK REVIEWS
Space Structures Edited by R. M. DAVIES 1234 pp., £18 18s. Blackwell Scientific,rOxford, 1967. tures, although they would undoubtedly refer to individual sections or chapters (the cost of £18 18s. would be an additional deterrent). It would be essential for designers to have a reference copy in the library, since inevitably most if not all structural systems will have been touched upon. The volume covers such a wealth of information that no engineer working in the field of space structures could afford not to have a copy in his library. The practical aspect of design and construction are particularly well covered and responsible for well over half of all contributions. The official languages of the original symposium were English, French and German and it is unfortunate that the fifteen contributions in foreign languages have not been translated to English. The book is undoubtedly the first comprehensive volume on Space Structures and will remain without any real competition for many years to come. F. SAWKO
ON FIRST examination a reader is overwhelmed by the sheer size of the book, containing over 1200 pages and hundreds of drawings and photographs. A more detailed examination of contents reveals an attempt at a systematic division into seven parts (following an excellent introductory chapter by Professor Z. S. Makowski on the development of Space Structures) dealing with analysis, design and practice of space structures. It must be emphazised that the volume is based on over a hundred papers presented at the International Conference on Space Structures which took place in London in September 1966. "Chapters" in the book are in fact the individual papers and the vast majority are of excellent quality. However, unity and continuity of presentation are difficult if not impossible to achieve when contributions from all over the world are submitted and this lack of continuity is certainly reflected in the volume. The volume cannot, therefore, be recommended as a textbook for students of space struc-
Programme Management of Power Station Construction Edited by R. FARRALL 106 pp., £3 3s. C.E.G.B., London, 1968. THE BOOK consists of the edited proceedings of a symposium, the objects of which were, firstly, to consolidate the existing collaboration between the C.E.G.B., its civil engineering consultants and the suppliers of boilers, generators and other power station plant and, secondly, to point the way ahead. A number of panels looked at some of the major aspects of power station construction, e.g. civil engineering and site erection and at some of the major items of plant and equipment, e.g. boilers, turbo-generators, switchgear, control and instrumentation and cabling. Detailed papers were produced which had as their main theme the planning, monitoring and controlling of work by network analysis to enable integrated design and construction to proceed as fast and economically as possible. As might be expected, there were many pleas for the "freezing" of individual sections of the design by certain dates in order to avoid
the costly confusion which late changes tend to bring. A further noteworthy point is that the role of the Project Engineer was likened to that of the conductor of an orchestra whose primary responsibility was to co-ordinate numerous individual jobs but who, in many cases, found the "score" of his project to be incomplete. The recommendations of the panels as contained in the published papers (which consist of procedures and model programmes for various aspects of the work of power station construction) have been endorsed by the C.E.G.B. and are being implemented in conjunction with contractors and civil engineering consultants. Being in reported form, the book is difficult to read and although its mass of detail may form a valuable work of reference for the specialist, it is unlikely to be of more than passing interest to the general reader. B. WHITEHEAD 235