Built: The Hidden Stories Behind Our Structures

Structural engineer Agrawal introduces engineering to the masses in this enthusiastic, easy-to-read primer to her field of work. Organizing her book around the fundamental concepts and building blocks of engineering, Agrawal traces the evolution of construction from simple mud huts to contemporary skyscrapers and demonstrates how basic materials (e.g., clay, metal, rock) are enhanced by modern-day advances in scientific modeling to yield complex new designs. The chapter on force, for instance, looks at the ways structures are built to hold the weight of their occupants and withstand the force of external factors such as wind and earthquakes, and includes examples such as the Taipei 101 skyscraper in Taiwan, which contains a 660-ton pendulum designed to absorb the energy of an earthquake. Throughout the book Agrawal balances stories of historical figures such as Emily Warren Roebling, a field engineer who oversaw the completion of the Brooklyn Bridge in the 1880s, with insights into the developments of today’s architectural wonders. Though the writing is often overly awestruck (as when Agrawal proclaims that buildings “provide the canvas of our existence”), the book successfully communicates the author’s love of engineering and the extraordinary impact of her profession on the everyday lives of people. Illus. (Feb.)