This work provides a single text to support the learning process associated with the study of the construction of domestic housing. The text includes a series of learning sessions or modules covering individual components of the topic. Included within the text are a number of review and self assessment tasks to encourage the student to reflect upon the material rather than simply read through it. The material is set out in such a way as to develop understanding as the reader studies in a structured way rather than providing a base of information in a less directed fashion. Other key features text include comparative studies and case studies. Each element is considered with a comparative study at the end of the learning module dealing with that element. The comparative study attempts to summarize in very simple terms the salient features of the alternative options. Case studies are taken from actual building sites, and with the support of a major national housebuilder, these are used to illustrate the concepts and the reality of the construction of modern dwellings.

Table of Contents

Functions of Buildings - Preparing to Build and the Building Process - Building Substructure - Foundations - Walls Below Ground - Ground Floors - Moisture Exclusion - Thermal insulation of Ground Floors - Building Superstructure - External Walls - Upper Floors & Stairs - Walls & Partitions - Roofs - Windows and Doors - Internal Finishes

Author Biography

MIKE RILEY is a Senior Lecturer at the School of the Built Environment, Liverpool John Moores University. CHRIS HOWARD is Deputy Head of the Building Performance Unit within the School of the Built Environment, Liverpool John Moores University. He is co-author of Introduction to Building Services (Macmillan 1996).