Publications Archives | Building and Construction Technology

New Book from Alexander Schreyer: Fundamentals of Residential Construction

October 6, 2022October 4, 2022 by Alexander Schreyer Comment Closed

Director of the Building and Construction Technology program is the lead author of a new book Alexander Schreyer, director of the Building and Construction Technology program at UMass Amherst, is the lead author of the recently updated “Fundamentals of Residential Construction,” the most authoritative resource on the topic. This newest, fifth edition is thoroughly revised to reflect the industry’s latest methods, materials, technologies and green building approaches, offering the most up-to-date explanations of today’s residential construction systems and current building codes, including the International Residential Code and energy codes. This edition features entirely new materials sections on metals, plastics, and composite construction as well as expanded and updated content on ventilation, air-sealing, decks and outdoor structures. Provides a solid foundation in residential construction methods, tools, and processes Discusses the latest codes, costs, trends, and best practices in design and construction Offers timely coverage of sustainable building, energy efficiency, multifamily construction, prefabricated building components, CAD/BIM planning tools, and carbon-conscious construction Includes access to...

Two NE Tree Species Can Be Used in New Sustainable Building Material

February 28, 2020February 27, 2020 by Peggi Clouston Comment Closed

UMass Amherst study tested strength of mass timber panels created from eastern white pine and eastern hemlock February 27, 2020 Contact: Peggi Clouston AMHERST, Mass. – Two tree species native to the Northeast have been found to be structurally sound for use in cross-laminated timber (CLT) – a revolutionary new type of building material with sought-after sustainability characteristics, according to research by a University of Massachusetts Amherst timber engineer. The findings, published in the Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering, suggest that these trees – the eastern hemlock and eastern white pine – could support local markets for CLT. The manufacturing of CLT, a type of mass timber used for wall, floor and roof construction, could create jobs, improve rural and forestry economies and support better forestry management, which is a strategy to address climate change, the research says. “This is the future – prefabricated, panelized wood,” says lead author Peggi Clouston, professor of wood mechanics and timber engineering in the School of Earth and...

Remembering R. Bruce Hoadley (1933-2019)

December 2, 2019December 9, 2022 by Alexander Schreyer Comment Closed

This fall we lost one of the most prolific former faculty in our program. R. Bruce Hoadley was a professor in the BCT program at a time when it was called "Building Materials and Wood Technology" (BMATWT). He led our program for many years as director, conducted research in wood products, and inspired many generations of students. Bruce's role in the wood community cannot be overstated. His books on wood identification and properties have become standard literature in the woodworking and wood processing communities and he has been a sought-after expert in this field. Faculty and alumni in BCT/BMATWT remember Bruce and the many conversations we had about wood and higher education very fondly. He will be missed. See below for his official obituary and links to commemorative websites. Please consider giving to the R. Bruce Hoadley Building Construction & Technology Fund, which benefits our students that pursue a career in wood technology. Obituary R. Bruce Hoadley, husband, father, and a Professor Emeritus of Wood...

BCT’s ‘False Color’ Exhibit is Open!

October 10, 2017October 9, 2017 by Alexander Schreyer Comment Closed

From now to October 28th, 2017, UMass students, faculty, and the general public are invited to visit the UMass Design Building Gallery during opening hours (9am - 4pm on weekdays) to view BCT's latest exhibition on all things related to "False Color" visualizations. Showcasing work by our faculty and graduate students, this exhibition visually (and interactively) explores the various technologies of our research: stress analysis, energy analysis, thermography, laser scanning, and more... BCT would like to especially thank Trimble Inc. for their support through our Trimble Technology Lab. We are also tremendously grateful to Peter Chrzanowski, Sharon Mehrman, and Alexander Okscin for their invaluable hands-on help in putting this exhibition together. The following synopsis explains our thoughts on this exhibition: As engineers, scientists and designers we are often faced with data that is not immediately comprehensible in its raw form, consisting solely of numeric values and ranges. Either the volume of such data is too large to lend itself to easy evaluation or it is too limited...

Schreyer Authors New Edition of ‘Fundamentals of Residential Construction’

April 19, 2017September 29, 2022 by Alexander Schreyer Comment Closed

Alexander Schreyer, director of the building and construction technology (BCT) program, has revised and expanded “Fundamentals of Residential Construction” to produce the fourth edition of the guide to professional construction of single-family and multifamily homes. Schreyer joins Edward Allen, formerly of MIT, Yale University and the University of Oregon, and Robert Thallon of the University of Oregon, who wrote the book’s previous editions. The new edition, which is being published by John Wiley & Sons, promises to be essential to the process of learning about residential construction, according to the publisher. “Construction is a slow-changing industry, but it changes, and keeping up with that is really important,” said Schreyer. “It was really exciting to be able to join this book as one of the authors so we can keep pushing the envelope and teach about residential construction. There are lots of people that need to know about it, want to know about it, and want to be builders or build their own...