The second edition of the Construction Handbook, Volume 1, is being published as e-book. It has been revised in the light of the National Building Code 2016 and enlarged based on the feedback received from the readers. Chapter 1, 3 4, and 6 have been thoroughly revamped. New sections dealing with Reinforced Earth Structures and Soil Nailing, Prestressed concrete including production of PSC sleepers, Architectural Concrete, and Evaluation of Technology of the Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) have been added in this edition of the book.

The unique strengths of the 2nd edition, are as follows:

(a) Breadth of Coverage,

(b) Concise Practical Guidelines,

(c) Authentic source of information based on IS codes and complements the Standard Specifications of the Government departments, and

(d) Reader friendliness. The Construction Handbook book covers all the processes of building construction from Green buildings and Earthquake design to Concrete Technology, Water supply & Plumbing Fixtures, Building Drainage and Sanitary Appliances, Woodwork and Modular Kitchen, Production of Steel, Welding and Steelwork; Flooring, Paints, Coatings and Corrosion Control.

The book provides in one place the best of the current knowledge on the latest building materials and their production, and standard construction practices for all types of structures including buildings/industrial structures, bridges, highways and railroads. I have presented first the specifications of construction materials and their manufacturing process, followed by a lucid explanation of the building concepts and practices supported by more than seven hundred sketches and pictures.

Majority of the Handbooks available in market have been published by major publishing houses by compiling the text of each chapter by a contributor. The continuity of the theme is, therefore, missing and the treatment of the topics in the book at times appears a little disjointed. In the Construction Handbook, the reader will find a continuity of flow that is the hallmark of any good text book.

The Handbook is based on Indian Standard Specifications for building materials and construction practices including National Building Code (2016). The number of IS and IRC codes referred in the book runs in several thousand.

The book cover designed in 3-D, depicts a young engineer entering the portal of knowledge with a beacon of light in the background which will guide him throughout his professional life.

The author gratefully acknowledges the help and material he borrowed from several organizations, and authors whose names appear in the List of References at the end of each chapter.