Concrete Construction: Methods and Costs

A practical field manual from the early 20th century, when concrete was remaking the American skyline. Halbert Powers Gillette, a civil engineer and construction cost specialist, distills decades of on-site experience into guidance for contractors and engineers working with concrete. This is not a theoretical treatise on cement chemistry or material properties, Gillette explicitly directs readers to other sources for that knowledge. Instead, he delivers what builders actually needed: how to estimate costs accurately, how to design forms and pouring schedules, how to sequence work efficiently, and how to turn a profit on concrete jobs. The book captures a transformative moment in construction history, when reinforced concrete was enabling buildings, bridges, and infrastructure that had been impossible before. Reading it now feels like stepping onto a 1910s jobsite, the language is period, the challenges are immediate, and the engineering fundamentals remain remarkably relevant.