How Was That Built?

Starred review from June 1, 2022
Grades 2-5 *Starred Review* As a child, Agrawal wondered how skyscrapers were built. Now a structural engineer, she offers today's kids explanations of varied construction projects and techniques, past and present, and glimpses of promising technologies under development. She begins by discussing how the ground beneath a proposed building is evaluated before its foundations are designed. This leads to an attractively illustrated description of engineers saving Mexico City's venerable Metropolitan Cathedral, which was gradually tilting and sinking into the soft, wet soil beneath it. Other construction challenges are also demonstrated with examples. "How to Build Tall," looks at the Shard, a London skyscraper, but also the uses of cranes and pulleys. "Build Wide" focuses on the Brooklyn Bridge. "Build a Dome" considers the Parthenon and digresses into the history of concrete and the stability of arches. "Build on Ice" spotlights a movable, modular Antarctic research station. The book covers a good deal of ground, and Agrawal presents the information clearly. Readers will come away with a firmer understanding of basic principles and pertinent examples of the topics discussed. The book's large format showcases Hickey's detailed, colorful artwork, which brightens every page while illustrating the sites and principles discussed. A useful, intriguing, and unusually beautiful addition to the engineering shelves.

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August 1, 2022
A trained structural engineer offers an insider's view on how renowned skyscrapers and other large constructions on seven continents were designed and built. In the wake of 2018's Built: The Hidden Stories Behind Our Structures, Agrawal, whose background includes work on London's Shard, presents younger audiences with specific and clearly explained issues and techniques associated with more than a dozen projects--from preserving Mexico City's Metropolitan Cathedral, which was built over a former lake and is sinking both unevenly and at the rate of 2-to-3 inches a year, to the challenges of creating a sewer system for London, a movable natural grass soccer pitch for the Sapporo Dome, and foundations in deep salt water for Mumbai's Bandra-Worli Sea Link bridge. The author also offers a look at Antarctica's Halley VI research station, which is jointed and built on skis, and explains how New Zealand's Te Matau --ā Pohe bridge was inspired by Maori legends. Along with galleries of modern skyscrapers and types of bridges, Agrawal pays tribute to traditional materials like bricks and reinforced concrete as well as more modern ones such as aluminum foam and carbon nanotubes, adds side features on elevators and cranes, and, with a particular focus on women and people of color, directs appreciative nods to select colleagues of past and present. Hickey mixes informally drawn portraits and occasional fanciful images with aerial and underwater views, simplified but revealing cutaway diagrams, and small illustrations for the occasional hands-on demonstrations the author suggests. A particularly engaging survey, both for its variety and its unusually expert perspectives. (glossary) (Nonfiction. 7-10)

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October 24, 2022
“Once you read this book, you’ll see the world through different eyes—the eyes of an engineer,” promises this in-depth introduction to structural engineering. Chapters each examine a construction challenge, such as “how to build tall,” “strong,” or “underground.” Anchoring the discussion are detailed case studies of emblematic engineering marvels such as the Brooklyn Bridge, London’s sewers, and Antarctica’s Halley VI research station. Throughout, overviews summarize topics such as “advances in concrete” and “ancient water engineering.” Agrawal packs a lot in, making the read feel dense, but creative comparisons and DIY experiments help clarify engineering principles. Hickey’s pencil-textured illustrations animate edifices and scenes of construction, emphasizing ingenuity. A glossary and an engineers’ gallery enhance the book’s appeal as a reference for budding builders. Ages 6–9.