Includes the institute's Proceedings, v. 9-11, 26- (issued also separately), and the ACI news letter (title varies slightly).

In many war torn and poverty stricken regions, the indigenous architecture has been heavy mud and wattle roofs on thick mud walls. These structures, while cool in the summer, are of very low strength, are maintenance intensive, are time consuming to build, and are largely in massive disrepair. Replacing these mud structures with the light weight roofs of latex concrete produces a permanent architecture significantly more safe and strong, of very low maintenance, and of remarkably low cost, as the roofs can be built by available unskilled labor. The time required for reconstruction is considerably shorter than the time required to replace the older heavy construction, and the self-help characteristic of this new form of construction leads to more rapid recovery from disaster. This how-to-do-it manual teaches people how to build these new roofs.

The Construction Manuals from Edition Detail are among the most important reference works in the specialist literature. The latest volume shows the potential of the material concrete and documents comprehensively the technical principles of using concrete in construction. Chapters cover the history of the material, the properties of concrete, reinforced concrete, and prestressed concrete, the treatment of its surface. Also covered are the basic principles of statics for large and small structures, and the building requirements with respect to heat, damp, sound-proofing and fire protection according to the most recent norms and standards. Finally a large number of built examples are presented from illustrations of the complete structure down to detailed plans, showing the broad spectrum of applications for concrete in contemporary building. All plans have been specially produced by the editorial department Detail for this book and for ease of comparison, they have been drawn to the same scale.