What is the main message of Built?

The main message of Built is the power of engineering and its impact on the world.

Who is the author of Built?

The author of Built is Roma Agrawal.

Technology & the Future

Built Book Summary - Built Book explained in key points

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Built summary

Name: Built
Rating: 4.8 (16 reviews)
Author: Roma Agrawal

Roma Agrawal

The Hidden Stories Behind Our Structures

4.8 (16 ratings)

31 mins

Brief summary

Built by Roma Agrawal tells the story of structural engineering and how it shaped our world. Agrawal shares her personal journey in the field and provides insight into the science behind iconic structures.

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Table of Contents

Built
Summary of 12 key ideas

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Key idea 1 of 12

What’s in it for me? Take a trip into the magical world of construction.

When a natural disaster strikes – an earthquake, say, or a tornado – one usually doesn’t hear much about the buildings that withstood the forces of nature.

This is a shame, because it means that the stories behind these sturdy structures never get told. These stories – of engineering ingenuity, complex calculations, innovative thinking and whip-smart problem solving – are what these blinks set out to tell.

Along the way, you’ll get a better grasp of the history of structural engineering, as well as a fuller understanding of the scientific skill and artistry behind the buildings we live and work in, and the incredible structures we snap selfies in front of.

In these blinks, you’ll also find out

why human poop was once a coveted resource;
how to access water in an arid country; and
which animal is a good model for a building.

An engineer’s job is to build structures that can withstand the forces of nature.

On August 27, 1907, high above Canada’s St. Lawrence River, a crew of 86 workers were building the Quebec Bridge. Construction had been underway for four years, but on that fateful afternoon, a large section of the bridge collapsed. The disaster lasted less than 20 seconds, and 75 workers lost their lives.

Unfortunately, it’s usually only when something like this happens – when a chief engineer makes a miscalculation and disaster ensues – that structural engineering enters the news.

But the triumphs of structural engineering abound. Every intact building is a testament to the deep understanding that engineers have of nature’s forces, and of the stress those forces exert on artificial structures.

Broadly speaking, there are two types of force that put stress on structures: compression and tension.

When weight is placed on an object, force flows down from the weight, putting the object in compression. For instance, when you stand upright, your legs are in compression, supporting the force exerted by your body weight.

In contrast, when weight is hung from an object, force flows down and away from the object, putting it in tension. For example, if you were to pick up a bowling ball, your arm would be in tension.

If we were unable to channel these forces, we’d be incapable of building anything. So, early on, we devised systems designed to do just that.

Our ancient ancestors certainly knew how to channel compression, even if only intuitively. As far as we can tell, their first structures were single-story mud huts, which made use of the load-bearing system: the weight of the building was channeled down through its thick mud walls, putting them in compression.

At some point, our ancestors also learned about tension. Once they gained access to suitable trees, they began building houses by lashing logs together. They’d then seal the structure against the elements by draping animal pelts or woven plants over it.

Unlike the mud huts, these structures used the frame system: the weight of the structure was channeled through the logs, which, by pushing against each other, were in tension.

Compression and tension, and the two systems we came up with to channel them, have been integral to construction since the first buildings were erected. And they’re no less important today.

Modern buildings employ many of the same components as in the earliest days of construction.

A great many engineers were first bitten by the building bug as children, and plenty of them experienced the wonders of construction while playing with their first LEGO set. And, really, modern buildings aren’t so different from LEGO constructions: each is composed of a variety of smaller components.

Take pretty much any structure, and you’ll find that its frame is made of a network of beams, braces, columns and trusses.

Structural engineers have to account for wind and earthquakes, among other forces of nature.

Gravity is not a force to be taken lightly, but at least it’s predictable – which is more than one can say about some of the other natural forces that engineers have to deal with.

Wind poses an especially tricky problem.

Disasters have a great deal to teach us about better building practices.

In 1968, in Canning Town, London, Ivy Hodge killed four people by attempting to make a cup of tea.

Hodge lived in a high-rise building made of prefabricated concrete blocks, which were held together by nothing more than friction and a small amount of concrete. Unfortunately, on that day in 1968, a defective boiler had been leaking gas into Hodge’s apartment, so when she went to light the stove, there was a small explosion.

The materials of modern structural engineering have a long history.

You’ve doubtless seen a brick building. You might even live in one. But did you know that bricks have been around for more than 11,000 years?

Back in 9000 BCE, the neolithic inhabitants of Jericho put bricks to extensive use. After molding pieces of clay into rough bricks, they’d let them dry in the sun, after which they’d use them to construct their beehive-shaped domiciles.

Concrete isn’t as boring as you might think.

At first glance, concrete might not seem like a particularly exciting substance. But, without it, some of the world’s most awe-inspiring structures – from Rome’s massive, 2,000-year-old Pantheon to the towering skyscrapers of today – never would have been built.

Concrete is a complex whole created from simple parts.

Modern structures reach for the sky.

Skyscrapers are inherently symbolic. They’re emblematic of some of humanity’s greatest qualities – our ambition, for instance, and our inexhaustible capacity for innovation. But it’s only in recent times that we’ve actually started constructing buildings as high as our expectations.

For almost 4,000 years, the world’s tallest structure was the Great Pyramid of Giza, completed in 2560 BCE, which, at 146 meters tall, was pretty short by today’s standards. Then, starting in the fourteenth century, a series of cathedrals traded the distinction of tallest building, with one cathedral losing it to another whenever its spire snapped off in rough weather.

A structure’s fate can be determined by the ground upon which it sits.

Prior to drawing up any blueprints or making any plans, an engineer has to know almost everything about the ground he’ll be building on.

If he doesn’t, there can be serious long-term consequences.

Innovative construction can help supply water to dry regions.

Civilizations, like trees, tend to pop up wherever there’s water. But even if there’s no water in sight, structural engineers have ways of finding it.

Indeed, creative engineers have been sniffing out water sources for thousands of years.

The history of human excrement contains the history of civilization.

How a culture handles human waste is a pretty good indicator of how advanced that culture is.

Japan is a case in point.

A handful of trailblazing women have fought gender inequality in the field of engineering.

It’s hard to be a woman in a male-dominated industry. Being a woman and trying to conduct a serious discussion with construction workers who are in the habit of pinning pictures of nude women to the wall is, to say the least, tricky. So it’s important for aspiring female engineers to draw inspiration from the past.

Just take Emily Warren Roebling, who, though never trained formally, completed the construction of the Brooklyn Bridge, in New York.

Structural engineering has a bright future.

You now know a great deal about engineering’s history. But what about its future? Well, as new technologies continue to emerge, it seems to be getting brighter and brighter.

Here’s a sampling of some cheaper, modern construction techniques that might start replacing pricy, outdated ones:

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What is Built about?

Built (2018) tells the story of some of society’s unsung heroes: structural engineers. Sadly, structural engineering tends only to enter the news when something goes wrong, like when a building falls or a bridge collapses. In Built, Agrawal gives a fuller picture of what it means to be an engineer, offering a range of stories and engaging tidbits about the structures of our world and the people who built them.

Built Review

Built by Roma Agrawal (2018) is an intriguing exploration of the immense engineering feats that shape our world. Here's why this book is worth reading:

Unveiling the wonders of engineering, Agrawal takes us on a journey through the creation of iconic structures, from bridges to skyscrapers, showcasing the brilliance behind their construction.
With a blend of historical context and compelling anecdotes, the book reveals the human stories behind these architectural marvels, making it both informative and captivating.
Agrawal's passion for engineering comes across in her vivid descriptions and attention to detail, ensuring that the book is anything but boring, even for those unfamiliar with the field.

Best quote from Built

The Tower of London was constructed with lime mortars, and is still standing 900 years after its construction.

—Roma Agrawal

Who should read Built?

People curious about how buildings are made
Aspiring structural engineers
Students interested in the history of engineering

About the Author

Roma Agrawal, a London-based structural engineer, worked on the Shard in London, currently the tallest building in western Europe. She is also famous for her initiatives to get people – especially women – interested in the field of engineering.

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