The late IVOR H SEELEYwas the author of many key works on surveying, building and civil engineering. He taught for many years at Nottingham Trent University, UK, where he was head of the Department of Surveying and Dean of the Faculty of Environmental Studies. Professor Seeley was a long-standing member of the RICS General Council and he served also on many other RICS councils and education committees in the UK. ROGER WINFIELDwas formerly a principal lecturer in the Department of Surveying at Nottingham Trent University, UK, where he specialised in the teaching of measurement. Editors of the Irish edition: ALAN V HOREis a Chartered Quantity Surveyor and a lecturer in the Department of Construction Economics at Dublin Institute of Technology, Ireland. He is also an Executive Director of the Construction IT Alliance (CITA). MARIA O'KELLYis a Chartered Quantity Surveyor and a lecturer in the Department of Built Environment: Management at Limerick Institute of Technology, Ireland. RITA SCULLYis also a lecturer in the Department of Built Environment: Management at Limerick Institute of Technology, Ireland. She is a Fellow of the Society of Chartered Surveyors and of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.