To Build New York: 100 Years of Infrastructure

My son is going to school in NY for civil engineering! Great book for someone who is interested in civil engineering, or just likes NY. Quick ship! Would buy again!

A very interesting read on the infrastructure of the worlds greatest city.

This book put out by the General Contractors Association (GCA)commemorates its centennial:1909 - 2009. It is chock full (133 pages of the book proper) of incredibly sumptuous pictures of the building of New York City taken over the last hundred years.The GCA is an association of contractors primarily involved in heavy construction of public works. So we find stories of their contribution to bridges, tunnels and roads; mass transit; ports and harbors; power plants and dams; waterworks and sewage systems; and big buildings.This is a truly wonderful book. It tells the story of the modern development of NY's infrastructure in words and glorious pictures, entwines it with the growth of the city, and in the process highlights the critical importance or the role the GCA has played.There is an excellent historical perspective as well. It's a remarkable period that has seen us go from horse drawn transportation to jets, from tenements and unsanitary conditions in firetraps to a healthier environment, largely free of the diseases and fires that plagued neighborhoods and cities in previous centuries.There's an excellent discussion of some construction technologies:* for digging at and below ground;* for tunneling sideways for water, transportation, and utilities. This gives us an understanding of geological conditions, caissons for digging below the water line.* for underpinning and protection of what was already there.* of new materials including concrete and the impact of the switch from bagged to bulk concrete.Some interesting sidebars as well: did you know that Al Smith hired Robert Moses, recommended FDR as his successor, and worked with LaGuardia on the city's construction. So all in all there's a lot to learn here as well.

Everyone, I own this book. Honestly one of the greatest books I have ever read about infrastructure. So many of my questions have been answered such as how the tunnels have been built. I highly recommend the book!