Barry's Construction Technology
Analysis and Choice
3rd Edition
Published on 18. September 2025
Book
Paperback/Softback
304 pages
978-1-394-26464-3 (ISBN)
Description
Updated resource guiding readers through the analysis and choices required to ensure a building will perform as expected
Robin Barry's Construction of Buildings was first published in 1958 as a five-volume set and rapidly became a standard work on the subject. Following Barry's death in 2002, a two-volume format was adopted with new authors. Developed from an earlier book by Tony Bryan, this new third volume, Barry's Construction Technology, extends the coverage to show how decisions about the design, production, maintenance and disposal of buildings may be thought through given the materials and technology available. The book challenges the reader to think about the consequences of making choices and decisions rather than relying on using what has been used before.
Barry's Construction Technology: Analysis and Choice includes information on:
The climate emergency and the low carbon agenda as a fundamental part of construction technology analysis and choice
Regenerative design, net zero buildings, and the circular economy for the built environment
Constraints that location, legislation, codes and standards, sustainability, insurance, and commercial pressures apply to the performance of buildings
Specific construction technology examples, with emphasis on questioning what we do and why, with the aim of informing and stimulating the reader to ask questions when confronted with all design and construction projects
Barry's Construction Technology: Analysis and Choice is an essential, practical, and up-to-date reference for undergraduate students of all building construction programmes including surveying, construction management, architectural technology, and architecture.
Robin Barry's Construction of Buildings was first published in 1958 as a five-volume set and rapidly became a standard work on the subject. Following Barry's death in 2002, a two-volume format was adopted with new authors. Developed from an earlier book by Tony Bryan, this new third volume, Barry's Construction Technology, extends the coverage to show how decisions about the design, production, maintenance and disposal of buildings may be thought through given the materials and technology available. The book challenges the reader to think about the consequences of making choices and decisions rather than relying on using what has been used before.
Barry's Construction Technology: Analysis and Choice includes information on:
The climate emergency and the low carbon agenda as a fundamental part of construction technology analysis and choice
Regenerative design, net zero buildings, and the circular economy for the built environment
Constraints that location, legislation, codes and standards, sustainability, insurance, and commercial pressures apply to the performance of buildings
Specific construction technology examples, with emphasis on questioning what we do and why, with the aim of informing and stimulating the reader to ask questions when confronted with all design and construction projects
Barry's Construction Technology: Analysis and Choice is an essential, practical, and up-to-date reference for undergraduate students of all building construction programmes including surveying, construction management, architectural technology, and architecture.
More details
Edition
3rd edition
Language
English
Place of publication
United States
Publishing group
John Wiley & Sons Inc
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
Dimensions
Height: 242 mm
Width: 169 mm
Thickness: 19 mm
Weight
538 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-394-26464-3 (9781394264643)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
E-Book
08/2025
3rd Edition
Wiley-ISTE
€40.99
Available for download
E-Book
08/2025
3rd Edition
Wiley-ISTE
€40.99
Available for download
Previous edition
Book
03/2010
2nd Edition
Wiley
€45.90
Article exhausted; check for reprint
Persons
Stephen Emmitt is Professor of Architectural Practice at the Department of Architecture and Civil Engineering, University of Bath, UK. He was previously Head of Department and Director of the Centre for Advanced Studies in Architecture (CASA). He is an architect with industrial experience. His research and teaching interests cover the interface between design and construction, design management, and collaborative working.
Content
Preface ix
Part I Analysis 1
Chapter 1 at a Glance 3
1 The Framework for Understanding 5
1.1 Responding to the climate emergency - rethinking how and why we build 5
1.2 Process and knowledge 8
1.3 The initial suggestion 9
1.4 Carrying out the evaluation 10
1.5 Physical and social context 12
1.6 The basis of analysis 12
1.7 Knowledge needed for choice 13
Chapter 2 at a Glance 17
2 Building Purpose and Performance 19
2.1 Activities, space and construction 19
2.2 Introduction to performance requirements 20
2.3 The performance gap 28
2.4 Environmental impact as performance criteria 29
2.5 Analysis of physical behaviour 30
2.6 The role of observation and science in the analysis 31
Chapter 3 at a Glance 33
3 Linking the Design Concept to Construction Choice 35
3.1 Flows and transfers 35
3.2 Concept design 36
3.3 General and constructed forms 39
3.4 The emergence of general building forms 40
3.5 Emerging technologies - uncertainty and risk 45
Chapter 4 at a Glance 47
4 Construction Variables and Choice 49
4.1 The variables of construction - the outcome of choice 49
4.2 Choosing materials 50
4.3 Choosing shape 52
4.4 Choosing size 53
4.5 Spatial relationships 58
4.6 Joints and fixings 60
Chapter 5 at a Glance 63
5 Defining Conditions 65
5.1 Physical and social conditions 65
5.2 Activity and construction-modifying environments 66
5.3 The dynamics of the system 67
5.4 Choice of interior elements of the building 71
5.5 Understanding what goes on within the building fabric 71
Chapter 6 at a Glance 73
6 The Resource Base 75
6.1 Materials - the primary resource 75
6.2 Buildings as material banks - the recycled resource 77
6.3 Knowledge and skill - the human resource 78
6.4 Production equipment - the technological resource 79
6.5 Money - the enabling resource 80
6.6 Time - the temporal resource 84
Chapter 7 at a Glance 87
7 Sustainability - Social Concerns and Technical Interventions 89
7.1 Sustainability - two major forces 89
7.2 Responding to the climate emergency 91
7.3 Buildings as systems 93
7.4 Renewable energy sources 101
7.5 Water and waste 102
7.6 Materials choice and detailing 104
Chapter 8 at a Glance 107
8 Physical Behaviour Creating Environments 109
8.1 The building as a system 110
8.2 The dry environment 115
8.3 The warm environment 121
8.4 The light environment 128
8.5 The acoustic environment 132
8.6 The clean environment 136
8.7 The safe environment 139
8.8 The private environment 147
Chapter 9 at a Glance 149
9 Physical Behaviour Under Load 151
9.1 Forces - external and internal 151
9.2 Basic structural members 154
9.3 Curving (and folding) structural members 158
9.4 Structural connections 159
9.5 Grid members - pin-jointed frames 161
9.6 Building structures - wind stability 162
9.7 Stress-strain and the choice of material 164
9.8 Structural analysis and design 166
9.9 Movements and structural behaviour 166
9.10 Stresses in the ground 167
9.11 The major structural forms 169
Chapter 10 at a Glance 173
10 Physical Behaviour Over Time 175
10.1 Reliability: renewal, maintenance, repair and reuse 175
10.2 Basis of analysis 176
10.3 Soiling and cleaning 177
10.4 Durability of materials 178
10.5 Movements in components 181
10.6 Ground movement, settlement and subsidence 184
10.7 Movement and detailing 185
10.8 Wear of components 186
Chapter 11 at a Glance 187
11 Interface Design 189
11.1 Interfaces 189
11.2 The enclosure-services interface 190
11.3 The enclosure-structure interface 192
11.4 The structure-services interface 196
11.5 Detailing interfaces 196
Chapter 12 at a Glance 197
12 Manufacture, Assembly and Disassembly 199
12.1 Realisation of performance criteria 199
12.2 Visualising stages and sequences 200
12.3 Analysis of operations, methods and resources 202
12.4 Materials and labour 204
12.5 Production equipment 206
12.6 Production options 210
12.7 Knowledge and expertise for the analysis of the process 218
Part II Choice 219
Chapter 13 at a Glance 221
13 Applying the Framework 223
13.1 The need for an integrated approach 223
13.2 Individual and collective choices 224
13.3 The basis of the case studies 225
13.4 The case studies 227
Chapter 14 at a Glance 229
14 Foundations: Do We Need to Dig a Hole? 231
14.1 Structural integrity of foundations 231
14.2 Foundation design 235
14.3 Economics of foundations 242
14.4 Exploring some scenarios 243
Reflective exercises 245
Chapter 15 at a Glance 247
15 Walls: The Paradox of the Cavity Wall 249
15.1 Walls by function 249
15.2 General forms 250
15.3 Walls in the case study 251
15.4 Masonry cavity external walls 252
15.5 Paradox 261
Reflective exercises 263
Chapter 16 at a Glance 265
16 Openings: The Door and Window Performance Dilemma 267
16.1 The hole in the external wall 267
16.2 Doors and windows - the components in the openings 271
16.3 How could we do things differently? 272
Reflective exercises 274
Index 277
Part I Analysis 1
Chapter 1 at a Glance 3
1 The Framework for Understanding 5
1.1 Responding to the climate emergency - rethinking how and why we build 5
1.2 Process and knowledge 8
1.3 The initial suggestion 9
1.4 Carrying out the evaluation 10
1.5 Physical and social context 12
1.6 The basis of analysis 12
1.7 Knowledge needed for choice 13
Chapter 2 at a Glance 17
2 Building Purpose and Performance 19
2.1 Activities, space and construction 19
2.2 Introduction to performance requirements 20
2.3 The performance gap 28
2.4 Environmental impact as performance criteria 29
2.5 Analysis of physical behaviour 30
2.6 The role of observation and science in the analysis 31
Chapter 3 at a Glance 33
3 Linking the Design Concept to Construction Choice 35
3.1 Flows and transfers 35
3.2 Concept design 36
3.3 General and constructed forms 39
3.4 The emergence of general building forms 40
3.5 Emerging technologies - uncertainty and risk 45
Chapter 4 at a Glance 47
4 Construction Variables and Choice 49
4.1 The variables of construction - the outcome of choice 49
4.2 Choosing materials 50
4.3 Choosing shape 52
4.4 Choosing size 53
4.5 Spatial relationships 58
4.6 Joints and fixings 60
Chapter 5 at a Glance 63
5 Defining Conditions 65
5.1 Physical and social conditions 65
5.2 Activity and construction-modifying environments 66
5.3 The dynamics of the system 67
5.4 Choice of interior elements of the building 71
5.5 Understanding what goes on within the building fabric 71
Chapter 6 at a Glance 73
6 The Resource Base 75
6.1 Materials - the primary resource 75
6.2 Buildings as material banks - the recycled resource 77
6.3 Knowledge and skill - the human resource 78
6.4 Production equipment - the technological resource 79
6.5 Money - the enabling resource 80
6.6 Time - the temporal resource 84
Chapter 7 at a Glance 87
7 Sustainability - Social Concerns and Technical Interventions 89
7.1 Sustainability - two major forces 89
7.2 Responding to the climate emergency 91
7.3 Buildings as systems 93
7.4 Renewable energy sources 101
7.5 Water and waste 102
7.6 Materials choice and detailing 104
Chapter 8 at a Glance 107
8 Physical Behaviour Creating Environments 109
8.1 The building as a system 110
8.2 The dry environment 115
8.3 The warm environment 121
8.4 The light environment 128
8.5 The acoustic environment 132
8.6 The clean environment 136
8.7 The safe environment 139
8.8 The private environment 147
Chapter 9 at a Glance 149
9 Physical Behaviour Under Load 151
9.1 Forces - external and internal 151
9.2 Basic structural members 154
9.3 Curving (and folding) structural members 158
9.4 Structural connections 159
9.5 Grid members - pin-jointed frames 161
9.6 Building structures - wind stability 162
9.7 Stress-strain and the choice of material 164
9.8 Structural analysis and design 166
9.9 Movements and structural behaviour 166
9.10 Stresses in the ground 167
9.11 The major structural forms 169
Chapter 10 at a Glance 173
10 Physical Behaviour Over Time 175
10.1 Reliability: renewal, maintenance, repair and reuse 175
10.2 Basis of analysis 176
10.3 Soiling and cleaning 177
10.4 Durability of materials 178
10.5 Movements in components 181
10.6 Ground movement, settlement and subsidence 184
10.7 Movement and detailing 185
10.8 Wear of components 186
Chapter 11 at a Glance 187
11 Interface Design 189
11.1 Interfaces 189
11.2 The enclosure-services interface 190
11.3 The enclosure-structure interface 192
11.4 The structure-services interface 196
11.5 Detailing interfaces 196
Chapter 12 at a Glance 197
12 Manufacture, Assembly and Disassembly 199
12.1 Realisation of performance criteria 199
12.2 Visualising stages and sequences 200
12.3 Analysis of operations, methods and resources 202
12.4 Materials and labour 204
12.5 Production equipment 206
12.6 Production options 210
12.7 Knowledge and expertise for the analysis of the process 218
Part II Choice 219
Chapter 13 at a Glance 221
13 Applying the Framework 223
13.1 The need for an integrated approach 223
13.2 Individual and collective choices 224
13.3 The basis of the case studies 225
13.4 The case studies 227
Chapter 14 at a Glance 229
14 Foundations: Do We Need to Dig a Hole? 231
14.1 Structural integrity of foundations 231
14.2 Foundation design 235
14.3 Economics of foundations 242
14.4 Exploring some scenarios 243
Reflective exercises 245
Chapter 15 at a Glance 247
15 Walls: The Paradox of the Cavity Wall 249
15.1 Walls by function 249
15.2 General forms 250
15.3 Walls in the case study 251
15.4 Masonry cavity external walls 252
15.5 Paradox 261
Reflective exercises 263
Chapter 16 at a Glance 265
16 Openings: The Door and Window Performance Dilemma 267
16.1 The hole in the external wall 267
16.2 Doors and windows - the components in the openings 271
16.3 How could we do things differently? 272
Reflective exercises 274
Index 277