Recommended Reading?

Dumb Terminal

Hi all,

I'm currently a year 2 AT student and I'm after reading recommendations from some experienced techs out there. Looking for stuff on the technical/engineering side. The Ching books where a great help but i've found i'm way passed any questions he's covering and we're not doing domenstic construction anymore so the Homebond is pretty useless. Roy Chudleys 'Building Construction Handbook' is fantastic but it covers so much that it doesn't get into specifics.


All suggestions greatly appreciated.

pseudo-tech

It's really depending on what you are covering this year. Once you have passed the domestic side of construction you enter a totally different domain. I'm not aware of a catch all book that will cover, industrial, commercial, offices, retail etc. What you will find is a review of current trade literature will give you a good idea of what the standard details are. If it's industrial start with the kingspan manual, commercial review cladding companies, flat roof membranes, curtain walling / planer glazing etc. However, there is nothing like good quality experience, which you should look for on your holidays. You may get the opportunity to liase and discuss projects with other professionals (Structural Engineers, M&E Engineers, Fire Consultants etc.) which would broaden your knowledge on what it takes to put a commercial building together. Stay around long enough and i'm sure some of the others will throw in their tupence worth. Best of luck with the course.

RKQ

The Mitchells building series

Structure & Fabric Part 1, Structures & Fabric Part 2,

Principles of Element Design, Finishes and Materials Technology Book, all 3 by Yevonne Dean.

Mitchells Introduction to Building by the late Derek Osbourne.

Try Barry's Building Technology 1, 2, 3, & 4 for general construction techniques and building types.

To be sucessful remember its important to keep up to date and never think you "know it all". It important to have a general knowledge but its much more important to know where to find the information you require.

sydthebeat

Building Services and Equipment.... F Hall....


extremely good book, which i still find useful 10 years after finishing college.

armchairninja

I found the Kingspan Book of Details to be very handy when I was doing 2nd year.
I think its still available for download on their site, for free.

Also, alot of the manufacturers of systems will provide their own technical literature, kingspan, tegral, kalzip, schuco, dansk etc., all have literature available, google is your best friend in an Arch Tech course;)

ben bedlam

Get out while you still can

armchairninja

ben bedlam wrote: »

Get out while you still can

Wrong attitude, the op is only in 2nd year, wont be qualified until may 2010 at the earliest, so by then hopefully things will have started to pick up!:cool:

No6

ben bedlam wrote: »

Get out while you still can

Any sugestions for alternatives everything is rightly fuc*ed as far as I can see at the moment, Career oppertunities in the Dept of Social Welfare, the only growth area in Ireland at the moment!!

Dumb Terminal

Thanks for the suggestions, I'll be hitting the library tomorrow. We had Shuco in with us today for a CPD seminar, along with some other companies, interesting stuff but unfortunately thin on the trade lit.

As for getting out, I'm actually really enjoying what I'm doing at the moment and at the end of the day that piece of paper at the end of it all will make me way more employable than any of the industry standard certs I would have gotten from my old IT career. Even if I end up working behind a bar or indeed in the dept. of social welfare I'll still be able to look back and say 'Hey, I completed one of the most grulling college courses in the country and I'm still sane' :P

Second question is what are the chances of getting some work experience in an office this summer given the current climate?

Slig

Dumb Terminal wrote: »

Thanks for the suggestions, I'll be hitting the library tomorrow. We had Shuco in with us today for a CPD seminar, along with some other companies, interesting stuff but unfortunately thin on the trade lit.

As for getting out, I'm actually really enjoying what I'm doing at the moment and at the end of the day that piece of paper at the end of it all will make me way more employable than any of the industry standard certs I would have gotten from my old IT career. Even if I end up working behind a bar or indeed in the dept. of social welfare I'll still be able to look back and say 'Hey, I completed one of the most grulling college courses in the country and I'm still sane' :P

Second question is what are the chances of getting some work experience in an office this summer given the current climate?

Ahhh WIT. My friend the Grundman still there?

archtech

here's what CIAT recommend for architectural technology students. i know in the days when i was in collage, one of the best sources of learning and researching details was reading AJ magazine. There were a few others as well, but AJ was the main one.

Dumb Terminal

Slig wrote: »

Ahhh WIT. My friend the Grundman still there?

He sure is

DvB

sydthebeat wrote: »

Building Services and Equipment.... F Hall....


extremely good book, which i still find useful 10 years after finishing college.

Seconded, i still refer to it the odd time myself.

sinnerboy

Get these 2 - http://www.greenbuildingbible.co.uk/

And subscribe( free ) to Construct Ireland magazine