Fundamentals of Residential Construction, 5th Edition is Here!

Fundamentals of Residential Construction cover

I am very happy to announce that after a full year of editing, writing, photographing, reviewing, proof-reading, and then proof-reading again, the new edition of Fundamentals of Residential Construction by Allen/Schreyer/Thallon is now available! As before, it comes in an eBook version as well as a hardcover.

For this edition, I was able to implement many updates and changes. For example, all IRC tables have been updated to the 2021 version and new IRC references have been added to every chapter. Content was updated throughout and, where possible, I replaced images with newer ones. Overall, this volume now has over 1250 illustrations and weighs in at 814 pages.

The materials section received an overhaul in that plastics as well as metals are now properly included. Also, being an educator, I tried to make the chapter exercises more relevant to the reader by illustrating at least one per chapter. And the list of interactive SketchUp exercises – a companion feature that I introduced with the fourth edition – has now been expanded to cover all chapters.

As many in this field know, the book’s original author, Edward Allen, passed away recently. Ed gave generations of students and practitioners in architecture, construction, and engineering a view of building design and construction that was unparalleled in its clarity, educational approach, and thoroughness. I have now taken the reins as lead author for this book and am committed to carrying Ed’s vision and the book’s educational mission into the future.

My extensive list of acknowledgements is included in the book. For now, I would simply like to thank everyone who helped make this edition possible.

See below the back-cover description for this edition:

The new edition of the definitive guide to professional home construction, fully updated and revised 

Fundamentals of Residential Construction provides clear, accurate, and accessible guidance to every step of single family and multifamily home construction, covering site preparation, project delivery methods, scheduling, foundations, framing, roofing, heating and cooling, plumbing and electrical, and more. Illustrated with more than 1,250 high-quality drawings, photographs, and photorealistic renderings throughout, this classic textbook addresses all major construction systems: light wood frame, mass timber, masonry, steel frame, light gauge steel, reinforced concrete construction, green building, and outdoor structures.

The fifth edition is thoroughly revised to reflect the industry’s latest methods, materials, and technology, offering the most up-to-date explanations of today’s residential construction systems and current building codes, including the International Residential Code (IRC) and energy codes. This edition features an entirely new section on metal, plastic, and composite construction materials sections as well as additional material on ventilation, air-sealing, decks, and outdoor structures

  • Provides a solid foundation in residential construction methods, tools, and processes
  • Discusses the latest codes, costs, trends, and best practices in design and construction
  • Offers timely coverage of sustainable building, energy efficiency, multifamily construction, prefabricated building components, and CAD/BIM planning tools
  • Includes access to a newly updated companion website with an instructor’s manual, chapter exercises, hands-on 3D interactive activities, and other supplementary resources

Fundamentals of Residential Construction, Fifth Edition, remains essential reading for anyone looking to successfully complete a residential project. It is a perfect textbook for students in construction science, construction management, construction technology, and architecture, and is a valuable reference for professional builders, construction managers, and designers.

Parallel to this book, I am also starting a companion website/blog, which can be found at visual.construction.

You can now order this book from:

Amazon or Wiley (ISBN: 978-1-119-81156-5)

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