Print and Specifications Reading for Construction

Book excerpt: Updated guidance for accurately interpreting graphic and written construction documents, including commercial ones Print and Specifications Reading for Construction is an easy-to-understand yet comprehensive manual on how to interpret construction documents, including the often quite complicated construction specifications for commercial building projects, covering both the graphic and written sets and demonstrating how they relate to each other. Complete sets of construction documents for three actual building projects are available on the book companion website. Practice questions and exercises are included throughout the text to aid in seamless reader comprehension and information retention. Written by a highly qualified author with more than three decades of experience in the field, Print and Specifications Reading for Construction includes information on: Basics of construction plan reading and relevant terminology, including architectural, structural, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and civil drawings and specifications Use of schematics in today's construction environment, and updates on soils and structural members Terminology and practical applications of BIM and sustainability, and clearly illustrated descriptions of various structural members Real construction problems in large-scale residential and commercial projects via included sample sets Covering both print reading and key construction specifications, Print and Specifications Reading for Construction is an easy-to-understand, accessible, and completely comprehensive guide on the subject for students in construction management and construction technology programs.