NEW HORIZONS FOR THE CONSTRUCTION SECTOR

(This book provides invaluable inputs for the fraternity of civil engineers in general and construction industry people in particular.)

Anup Kumar Baruah

(A Journey through the Construction Industry)

Dr. Hema Kanta Barua is an extremely distinguished civil engineer, obviously one of the very best from this part of the country. He is an alumnus of Jorhat Engineering College and has a doctorate degree in structural engineering from IIT Kharagpur, which he obtained way back in 1976.

Dr. Barua’s professional life has been a glorious saga of successful stints in academics, as a construction expert in an important organisation, a long tenure as an independent consultant responsible for design, preparation of detailed drawings and estimates and implementation of civil engineering projects of substantial scale and finally again more than a decade in academics as the head of an institution. The author’s rich and varied experience and his exceptional mastery over the subject have resulted in his creation being a very important addition to literature on the construction sector of the country, with some aspects even having global appeal. The book has been primarily planned for providing invaluable inputs to the engineers, mainly from the civil stream, who are involved in various construction-related activities.

However, this book can play the role of a very important reference publication for all the real estate developers and contractors organised in civil construction works and also persons engaged in pursuing various statutory compliances related to construction works of different kinds. I am also firmly of the opinion that it can interest lots of lay readers desirous of learning a few basics related to the construction industry sector.

Some salient aspects of the book need to be highlighted. Chapter II, dealing with the seismic vulnerability of structures, particularly in our country, will obviously be of considerable help to the engineers and architects engaged in the design and implementation of various civil engineering projects. Similarly, various issues related to urbanization, particularly in the NER, covered in chapter III; construction project management covered in chapter V; and various issues related to the maintenance of buildings, covered in chapter VI, will obviously be of special interest to all the construction industry people.

Proper grooming of the engineering students at different levels has also been highlighted, obviously for valid reasons. The following line, which has been quoted by the author towards the end of the chapter, should be of considerable interest to our civil engineering brethren. “Proud of its legacy, the global civil engineering community cannot rest on its laurels. Public health, safety and welfare require giving even more attention to infrastructure and the environment.” A few words to conclude. Although I have a degree in mechanical engineering, I do not fancy myself too much as a practising engineer. However, I too have been able to comprehend most of the book, which implies that anybody acquainted with a few basics of the construction industry will be able to go through it with considerable benefit. The author’s exceptionally lucid language makes it an engaging and fruitful reading. All said and done, a great read.