With a unique format, using worked examples and supplementary clarification in parallel with explanatory text, this fifth edition of a classic gives readers a basic understanding of the design of building structures. It covers loads and reactions, bracing, moments and shears, and stresses and deflections. The text explains these structural principles clearly and concisely, and the worksheets test readers' understanding. Backed up with real-world case studies, including six new buildings from around the world, the combination of theory and practice gives beginners straightforward access to elementary structural engineering.