The field of structural engineering and the concrete design of buildings has undergone significant changes since the mid-1970s, when I was in college. At that time, one of the best books on concrete was “Foundations of Reinforced Concrete” by Phil M. Ferguson. Computer-aided design of concrete buildings was in its infancy, and for even the simplest design of a reinforced concrete column, I would take a stack of 100 “punch cards” to the computer center and have them processed by a central campus computer the size of a room.
About the Book
Reinforced Concrete Design of High-Rise Buildings,” by Dr. Taranat, explains to the reader the complexities of today’s concrete design in a skillful manner, keeping in mind real-world problems. The most complex design issues are presented in easy-to-understand language and supplemented with numerous illustrations for further understanding. The book is filled with design examples, and Chapter6 is entirely devoted to seismic design examples.
The field of seismic and wind-resistant design and detailing has changed dramatically with the latest findings regarding building damage and failure due to earthquakes and high winds. Due to advances in research and technology, the International Building Code (IBC) and ACI 318 must be published every three years to keep up with innovations and new technology and research. Seismic and wind-resistant design under today’s building codes appears to be more complex than ever.
For ease of application and use, there are separate chapters for seismic and wind-resistant design.
Failure patterns, considerations for explosions, progressive collapse, and alternative designs to reduce the potential for progressive collapse are other important and current design issues addressed in this book.
Finally, seismic retrofit of existing buildings, a topic not often addressed in reinforced concrete design, is also discussed.
The last chapter deals extensively with seismic retrofitting of existing buildings, a topic seldom addressed in reinforced concrete design books.
This book is truly one of the most interesting and well-crafted publications I have reviewed, which is why it was an easy decision for ICC to become its co-branding partner. Structural engineers constitute the most important core of the building safety and sustainability profession, developing responsible, efficient, effective, safe, and economical designs. This publication is a significant contribution to that effort.