architect54

I was having a lot of trouble gaining momentum with my studies so I pulled back and simplified what I was going to study. Right now, I’m still reading the ARE Review Manual. This has been a good idea that worked. I’ve calmed down and have been able to concentrate.

Recently Syed07 reminded me about “Fundamentals of Building Construction, Materials and Methods” by Edward Allen. The 3rd edition of this book is an official NCARB reference book for the Building Design and Construction Systems exam. I have the 2nd edition from school.  I haven’t seen the recent edition, but I feel confident I can gain from my edition. I spent one night quickly browsing through the concrete chapter in Fundamentals and I came across pictures of a slump test and lift-slab construction. These were both covered in the ARE Review Manual, but the pictures in Fundamentals can really assist your memory. I’ve never seen, or don’t recall ever seeing lift-slab construction. Reading about it in the Review Manual, left me confused. Seeing the picture of lift-slab construction in Fundamentals, was like “Oh. Okay.” With that picture I expect to clearly remember lift-slab construction. (Now to be thorough I need recall the benefits of lift-slab over other concrete construction. According to the ARE Review Manual, “This type of construction minimizes the amount of formwork required and generally reduces construction time.”)

I pulled Fundamentals of Building Construction out of the basement and up with my active study books. But I still plan on reading through the Building Design and Construction Systems chapters in my ARE Review Manual before I move on to other books.