Understanding Building Failures

This third edition of Bill Ransom's classic short textbook provides a solid introduction to the study of defects in buildings and, in consequence, to good practice in conservation and repair.

Building failures continue to occur despite continuing experience and growing knowledge in the industry; they may even be on the increase due to cost-cutting measures, the inadequate testing of innovative products and techniques, a lack of maintenance, and user abuse and misuse.

New material includes an outline of the principles of building pathology; new sections on deterioration mechanisms, service life prediction and dampness investigation.

Complete with a handy glossary and bibliography, practitioners and students will find this an excellent source of guidance and information for investigating and avoiding building failures.

Bill Ransom was a government research scientist working for the Building Research Establishment (BRE), the Department of the Environment and the Colonial Office travelling widely abroad to help resolve problems in construction technology. He retired in 1981 as head of the Building Integrity Division of the BRE and now lives in Devon.

James Douglas BSc MRICS MBEng is a Lecturer in Building Surveying at Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh. He qualified as a chartered building surveyor in 1986 and has over twenty years experience in the public sector, dealing primarily with maintenance and some adaptation work. His main area of professional interest is investigating and diagnosing defects.