This book has been written for students and practitioners of civil engineering construction and building. Specifically it should find a market amongst working contractors, engineers, builders, quantity surveyors, architects, specification writers, equipment and materials manufacturers, project managers and insurance and legal advisors. A special effort has been made to present the principles in deciding on methods of construction, devising temporary works and selecting appropriate equipment. The text is fully augmented by diagrams, tables and performance data, which together with worked examples, should help the reader to prepare costs plans and estimates of work. To this end the second edition contains an extensive new section on ground engineering methods to augment the coverage in the original volume of the major categories of construction equipment and methods common to general contracting, dealing in order with: ground engineering equipment and methods; excavating and materials handling plant; sand and aggregate production, concrete batching and prestressed concrete; road pavement construction with the emphasis directed towards pavement construction equipment; bridgework, concentrating on temporary works structures, falsework and formwork for deck construction.