Customer Reviews
A good site construction reference book for architects, landscape architects and engineers - By: Gang Chen, 01 Jan 2008 
Detailing is difficult for young design professionals. College education does not cover enough detail design, the only ways to learn how to develop details are: 1) learn through working experience in design offices; 2) teach yourself by reading good books.
"Time-Saver Standards Site Construction Details Manual" can allleviate this problem. When they wrote this book, Nicholas T. Dines, FASLA was a professor & director for the graduate MLA program at the University of Massachusetts, & already had 32 years of professional experience. Kyle Brown was an assistant professor of Landscape Architecture at California Polytechnic University, Pomona, & held a Bachelor & a Master degree in Landscape Architecture & was a Ph. D candidate in regional planning.
"Time-Saver Standards Site Construction Details Manual" covers athletic surfaces (natural & artificial turf, athletic paving), curbs (asphalt, brick, wood, stone & concrete curbs), drainage inlets (catch basins, area drains, trench drains), drainage swales (concrete, stone & vegetated swales), lighting (accent, pedestrian & vehicular lighting), paving (aggregate, asphalt, brick, concrete, stone, wood & synthetic paving, reinforce turf), paving dividers (brick, concrete & stone paving dividers), paving edges, paving joints, pedestrian ramps, planting, ponds, retaining structures, seatwallls, steps, & wallls. There is also a useful detail index at the end.
The details in this book are useful, but you still have to adapt them per your specific project condition. For example, some of the paving details calll for "reinforcement as required." If you just copy & use these details, I guarantee you'll get change orders for your job. You should adapt these details per the soils report & tenant or developer criteria of your job & / or consult your structural engineer to actuallly specify what kind of reinforcement you are using for these details in your job.
"Time-Saver Standards Site Construction Details Manual" has 416 pages & 350 common site details. It is a good Site Construction reference book for architects, landscape architects & engineers. Like any other books, it'll not cover every situation for your job. As a design professional, you should still review & adapt these details for your job.
Gang Chen, Author of "LEED AP Exam Guide" & "Planting Design Illustrated." LEED AP, AIA
