Book excerpt: Get the updated industry standard for a new age of construction! For more than fifty years, Olin’s Construction has been the cornerstone reference in the field for architecture and construction professionals and students. This new edition is an invaluable resource that will provide in-depth coverage for decades to come. You’ll find the most up-to-date principles, materials, methods, codes, and standards used in the design and construction of contemporary concrete, steel, masonry, and wood buildings for residential, commercial, and institutional use. Organized by the principles of the MasterFormat® 2010 Update, this edition: Covers sitework; concrete, steel, masonry, wood, and plastic materials; sound control; mechanical and electrical systems; doors and windows; finishes; industry standards; codes; barrier-free design; and much more Offers extensive coverage of the metric system of measurement Includes more than 1,800 illustrations, 175 new to this edition and more than 200 others, revised to bring them up to date Provides vital descriptive information on how to design buildings, detail components, specify materials and products, and avoid common pitfalls Contains new information on sustainability, expanded coverage of the principles of construction management and the place of construction managers in the construction process, and construction of long span structures in concrete, steel, and wood The most comprehensive text on the subject, Olin’s Construction covers not only the materials and methods of building construction, but also building systems and equipment, utilities, properties of materials, and current design and contracting requirements. Whether you’re a builder, designer, contractor, or manager, join the readers who have relied on the principles of Olin’s Construction for more than two generations to master construction operations.