steel design book - opinion

[a2mfk]

I am looking at adding a new, updated, in-depth steel design textbook to my library. Any opinions about this one?

Structural Steel Designer's Handbook, 5th edition
Roger L. Brockenbrough and
Frederick S. Merritt

Fully updated with the most recent design codes, standards, and specifications, this comprehensive book provides a convenient, single source of the latest information essential to the practical design of steel structures. Read more.

2011, McGraw-Hill & ASCE Press | Hard cover, 960 pp.
ISBN 978-0-0716-6666-4
List $175, ASCE Member $131.25

 

[JAE]

That's probably OK. I like the Salmon and Johnson book myself.

 

[a2mfk]

Good point JAE, my first employer had a Salmon and Johnson book that I really liked. Looks like the 5th edition of the S and J book was published in 2008, so does it reference the latest AISC manual?

 

[port125]

By far the best (most comprehensive, covers 95% of situations) steel design book we have in our office is
Unified Design of Steel Structures
Louis F. Geschwindner

$25 used, $35 new on Amazon

This book does is great in that it goes step-by-step thru designs using the 13th edition AISC.

I have not seen the Structural Steel Designer's Handbook, 5th edition. It may be good too.

 

[port125]

I just realized we have the the Structural Steel Designer's Handbook, 4th edition.

Unified Design of Steel Structures is much better in many ways.

 

[delagina]

@a2fmk, i have a copy of 5th edition salmon and johnson. yes it's based on 13th edition both ASD and LRFD..

i wouldnt say latest aisc though coz 14th is coming soon.. ahaha

these codes keeps updating $$$$$

 

[a2mfk]

delagina- is that a vote FOR the Salmon and Johnson book?

I am not worried about the new AISC spec. Nothing I am doing is going to fall down because of a new code Looking for a comprehensive steel design book that deals with the major and some minor concepts. I am not unhappy with AISC I just need a supplement that gives me some more background and explanation, and fills in some gaps.

 

[Lion06]

I have S&J and the Unified Design by Geschwindner. They are both good, but S&J is far and away the most complete text you can find on structural steel design. I don't think the Unified Design text even has a section on eccentric shear connections. It's a great intro to the 13th edition manual (epecially if you learned or practiced old time ASD), but in terms of a text on structural steel behavior and an in-depth coverage you can't beat S&J.

My comments above do not address the difference in cost, just content.

 

[delagina]

@a2mfk, i dont have unified design so i cant compare. S&J seems to be a good book though.

 

[Ron]

PA..."old time ASD"?? Bite your tongue!

S&J for steel
Still have my old Wang and Salmon for concrete...pretty much useless now except for failure investigations

 

[MrHershey]

Used Salmon and Johnson in school. Has proved useful a few times so far in practice.

 

[Lion06]

Ron-\
I really debated writing that (I actually learned steel in school with the green book, and that was in 2005, believe it or not!). I only called it "old time ASD", since the new ASD is really LRFD at Halloween.

In terms of use in practice, I have probably used Blodgett more than any other text, but it's really been for some unique welded connections and designing stitch welds of plates to WF sections to for a closed section, BUT S&J is still the most complete and in-depth text for steel design, in my opinion.

 

[Ron]

the new ASD is really LRFD at Halloween.

 

[a2mfk]

S and J it is, thanks gentleman.