The Volume II of the Handbook is based on the same premise as Volume 1 that a practicing professional in the field does not have easy access to books to aid him do his work more effectively. It has, therefore, brought together under one cover the following six relatively independent subjects, which are of considerable relevance to building profession:

1. Quality in Construction and ISO 9001 Certification
2. Polymers, Plastics and Composites
3. Aluminum doors, windows and curtainwalls
4. Industrialized building Construction
5. Buildings – Deterioration, Investigation and Rehabilitation, and
6. Construction Equipment

These were not included in Volume I as it catered to the needs of the professionals who were responsible for the construction of conventional type of structures and were looking for standard construction practices in one reference book to tackle majority of the problems encountered in the field. Volume II is relatively more advanced in the selection of the subjects, e.g. latest generation building materials, modern construction technology, contemporary architecture and current construction management concepts. Volume I and II together, therefore, provide a complete set of reference guide to the practicing professional in the field.

Treatment of the subject covered in each chapter in Volume II follows the same format as Volume I. It is down toearth, emphasizing the practical guidelines useful to the practicing professional – the engineer, the architect, and the builder. The focus is on the ‘how’ and the ‘why’ of the subject shorn of all formulas and mathematics.

Construction nowadays involves extensive use of equipment of various kinds. The main thrust of Volume II is to expose the reader to modern technology used in the construction of high-rise buildings, bridges, highways and repairs of distressed concrete structures. The book captures essentials of most machines and the associated construction processes. For example, not only the various types of equipment used in the production and placement of concrete is described in sufficient detail, but also the production technology of ready mixed concrete and the measures required in the field for its quality control. The same approach has been followed throughout the book in the treatment of other machines used for earth moving, soil compaction, pile construction, aggregate production, road paving, and tubewell boring. Fundamentals of the construction process and the associated equipment are described together to give the reader a complete picture of the essentials of the particular construction technology.

The specifications for all models of the equipment included would fill many books. So, only typical specifications of the model by Indian manufacturers highlighting the performance of the machine on the job have been included.

Even though the book has been written for the technical professionals, it is not necessary for the reader to have an engineering background. A line schematic and a photograph of the machine has been included in the text to help in the conceptualization of the equipment by readers who may not have much exposure to the machines.

The book will be particularly useful to the budding professional working on engineering construction, who is interested in understanding better the equipment being used by the contractor. The person studying engineering or construction technology will also find it of immense value.

A number of tables have been given in the text summarizing comparative performance of a machine from competing manufacturers to aid in the selection of the machine for the project. Alphabetical directory of the equipment manufacturers provided in Appendix 25.2 should be of considerable help to the builders and engineers as it takes out the drudgery of thumbing through the Yellow Pages to locate the source of particular equipment.

Various types of glass and glazed facades have become a symbol of corporate identity and the calling card of the designer of the modern high-rise buildings. Structurally glazed curtainwall system is the latest innovation in the hightech architecture. Even though structural glazing offers an unlimited variety of design expression in contemporary architecture, there is no introductory book on the design concepts, products and processes involved in curtainwall technology. Practicing professionals will find wealth of information on newer building materials such as high performance glass, structural adhesives and sealants, long life architectural coatings and aluminum and fiberglass composite sheets and panels. Numerous sketches explain the details of conventional and structurally glazed curtain wall systems.

The chapter on aluminum contains practical knowledge and useful guidelines for the design, installation and performance criteria of aluminum structures and glazed facades. Architect will find it of great value and it will be of considerable interest to the engineer who is responsible for the maintenance of the modern high-rise buildings.

Repairs and rehabilitation of distressed concrete structures has become a very important field of activity for the engineer and the architect during his professional career. The basic principles, which are common to the repair of all types of reinforced concrete structures, have been presented in a concise form in Chapter 24. As the scope of the subject is very vast, the author has followed the following sequence in the presentation of the material: