Excerpt from Economics of Construction in Relation to Framed Structures: Preliminary Parts, Part I. Classification of Structures, Part II. Diagrams of Forces

The two Parts now published are calculated to form a useful Manual in themselves. And as they are almost altogether of a preliminary character in relation to Economics of Construction, no introduction to that subject need here be attempted. But as touching upon the neglect of that branch of Engineering Science, I may quote the following passage with reference to British Engineering from Applied Mechanics by the late eminent Professor W. J. Macquorn Rankine: - "In too many cases we see the strength and the stability which ought to be given by the skilful arrangement of the parts of a structure, supplied by means of clumsy massiveness, and of lavish expenditure of material, labour, and money, and the evil is increased by a perversion of the public taste, which causes works to be admired, not in proportion to their fitness for their purposes, or to the skill evinced in attaining that fitness, but in proportion to their size and cost."

Part I. is devoted to the Classification of Structures, but the illustrations are, in the meantime, confined to Roof and Bridge Trusses. Many previous attempts have been made by others and myself in this direction, but not one of those that I am acquainted with is at all satisfactory. I trust that the classification now given, although no doubt open to some objections, will commend itself as based for the most part upon scientific distinctions.

A considerable number of the designs supplied to illustrate the classification are original.

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