How Was That Built? by Roma Agrawal

How Was That Built?  by Roma Agrawal

By Roma Agrawal (author) , Katie Hickey (illustrator)

"A book to explore again and again this is also a celebration of great engineers and especially great women engineers"

Hardback In Stock £14.99 £13.49

View All Editions (1)

A Julia Eccleshare Pick of the Month October 2021

Scientifically detailed and packed full of information, this is a high-level introduction to the exceptionally complex demands of the building of bridges, tunnels and high rise city sky scrapers and how they have been solved. Structural engineer Roma Agrawal has chosen some iconic structures as case studies ranging historically from the Pantheon in Rome and the Metropolitan Cathedral of Mexico which was built on a sucken Aztec pyramid to the great engineering feats of the nineteenth century including the Brooklyn Bridge and the London sewers.

Bringing the story of development up to date she has a detailed account of the building of the Shard in London which she worked on! In addition the case studies, there is a mass of technical detail about how to make buildings watertight, stable and strong. From the humble brick to the latest methods of computer modelling everything that has helped man make buildings is included.

A book to explore again and again this is also a celebration of great engineers and especially great women engineers!

Join Roma Agrawal, the award-winning structural engineer who worked on The Shard, for an exciting behind-the-scenes look at some of the world's most amazing landmarks. Meet the extraordinary people who challenged our beliefs about what's possible, pioneering remarkable inventions that helped build the Brooklyn Bridge in the US, the Pantheon in Italy, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, the Shard in England and the Sapporo Dome in Japan.

Read the full description

Discover the ingenious methods engineers have come up with to enable us to build underground, underwater, on ice and even in space. And learn about the impact different forces and materials can have on a structure by carrying out your own engineering experiments from the 'Try it at Home' sections.

Beautiful and detailed illustrations by Katie Hickey, including cross-sections, skylines and close-ups of engineering techniques in action, provide unique and illuminating perspectives of our most awe-inspiring constructions. Get ready to see the built world around you like never before!

Praise for Roma's adult title Built:

A fascinating celebration of the impact that structural engineering has on all our lives ... [an] eye- opening book - The Sunday Times

Agrawal has a gift for rendering complex phenomena in simple terms...a real treat Financial Times

In Built... [Agrawal] delves into the history of her discipline through Brunel's tunnels and Bazalgette's sewers and lingers tactfully over the hidden flaws and engineering disasters of the past from which so much has been learned Times Literary Supplement

Roma Agrawal, MBE is an award-winning engineer, author and broadcaster. From footbridges to skyscrapers - including The Shard - she has left an indelible mark on London's landscape.

Roma is an inspiring promoter of engineering and technical careers to young people, particularly in under-represented groups and given talks around the world, including two for TEDx. She was awarded the prestigious Royal Academy of Engineering's Rooke Award in 2018.

Photo credit Jonny Ring

Inspiring Children's Books to celebrate British Science Week this March

50 fantastic new STEM books for children that celebrate Science, Technology, Engineering & Maths

UKLA Longlist 2023 Announced

The Shortlist of the Royal Society Young People’s Book Prize is announced celebrating the very best science books for under-14s

UKLA Book Awards 2023

Feminist History for Every Day of the Year

British Museum: A History of the World in 25 Cities

Tracey Turner and 1 more

How Do Bridges Work?

Great British Railways: 50 Things to See and Do

Vicki Pipe and 1 more

The Apartment: A Century of Russian History

Full of fascinating facts, interesting illustations, amazing architecture and brilliant buildings. This was absolutely awesome and amazing!

I LOVED THIS BOOK. A massive, colourful book bursting with cool infomation, ranging from fascinating facts about the Shard, mindblowing infomation about Kaise Dam and so so so so so much more. Not only does this book tell you all about how different amazing and brilliant buildings were built, but it gives you a varity of great knowledge about each thing. And to accompany this excellent experience, amazing, colourful illustrations which really give you an idea of the scale (and coolness) of each brilliant building.... Read Full Review

The LoveReading4Kids Editorial Team have read and reviewed How Was That Built? and determined it is suitable for children aged 11-12 years old

How Was That Built? features in the following genres: History, Children’s / Teenage: General interest, Children’s, Teenage and Educational, Julia Eccleshare's Picks of the Month, Recommendations, People / Places, Science, Transport, Featured Books for 11+ readers

Hardback. £13.49, down from the £14.99 cover price. In Stock.

How Was That Built? was written by Roma Agrawal and published by Bloomsbury Childrens Books an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

How Was That Built? has 80 pages

£13.49, reduced from £14.99. In Stock.

©PTC International Ltd T/A LoveReading is registered in England. Company number: 10193437. VAT number: 270 4538 09. Registered address: 157 Shooters Hill, London, SE18 3HP. Terms & Conditions | Privacy Policy | Disclaimer

The National Year of Reading starts here. Join thousands of families and schools supporting reading for pleasure across the UK.