本书的创新之处是将所有的建筑结构体系分为两大类，即“平板结构”和“曲面结构”。比起传统教材中十几种甚至几十种结构类型的罗列介绍，本书能使读者更加清晰且容易地学习和掌握建筑结构体系的精髓。
本书的写作理念，是采用最简单的分类方法、最基本的力学原理、最形象的语言表达，把看起来似乎很复杂的建筑结构阐述清楚。这是作者的初衷，希望也是最后的效果。本书同时强调建筑结构概念的正确理解和建立，并通过新建筑的案例分析，使读者能够掌握如何应用所建立的结构概念。
本书的编写注重结构体系的系统性和结构理论的可读性。全书共包括绪论及上篇平板结构体系、下篇曲面结构体系及附篇膜建筑结构。此外，本书在各章之后还给出了一些复习思考题，并在附录中给出了“复习思考题要点分析”。
本书是在作者近二十年来为建筑学专业学生开设《建筑结构体系及选型》课程的教学实践基础上积累而成的。本书可以作为该课程的教材，也可以作为土建类相关专业的选修课教材和教学参考书；本书还可以作为注册建筑师考试的辅导教材以及建筑结构设计人员、土建工程技术人员提高专业素质的学习参考资料。
A Brief Introduction to “System and Selection of Building Structures”
This book’s innovation starts with dividing all building structures into two categories: planarstructures and curved structures. Compared to traditional textbooks that can include dozens of structural types, this book enables readers to learn and master the essence of building structures clearly and easily.
The author’s goals in writing the book were to use the simplest classification method, the basic principles of mechanics, and the most vivid language to explainbuilding structures, even seemly complicated ones, to make them as clear as possible.This is the author’s original objective,hoping it will be handsomely achieved. Also emphasized is the correct establishment and comprehension of structural concepts for buildings, and through case study analyses of new buildings, readers can master how to apply structural concepts in practice.
The book’s composition focuses on the system of structural types and the readability of structural theories. Sections include an introduction, a first sectionon planar structural systems, a second section on curved structural systems, and an additional section on membrane building structures. In addition, questions for review are provided at the end of each chapter, with the answers, which include the main points and helpful guidance, shown in the appendix.
This book is based on the author’s accumulated knowledgefrom the past two decades of teaching the “System and Selection of Building Structures” course to architecture majors. The book can be used as a textbook for the course or as a textbook and teaching reference book for selective courses incivil engineering and architecture. It also would be helpful study material for the Certified Architect Examination, and can serve as a reference resourcefor structural design engineers and technical professionalsto help improve the quality of their work.
