Synopses & Reviews
Building in the North is a fully updated edition of the classic work by Elbert F. Rice, a professor at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks, who with a steady supply of wit, charm, and his own hands-on experience helped to invent Northern engineering. Easily readable and accessible to anyone with a healthy sense of humor and a willingness to live in the beautiful North, this guide is essential for those who dream of building that longed-for cabin in the woods—or simply find themselves needing to learn to cope with the threat of permafrost in a frigid climate. Illustrated with Rices own drawings and filled with invaluable folk knowledge, this contribution to science and human experience in the Great North will delight adventurers and natives alike.
About the Author
Elbert F. Rice was part of the scientific expedition on the USS Manhattan that traveled through the Northwest Passage trying to determine the feasibility of transporting oil by tanker to the continental US prior to the building of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline. He was professor at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks, from 1952 until 1982.
Table of Contents
Foreword to the Fifth Edition
Richard D. Seifert
Foreword to the 1996 Edition
F. Lawrence Bennett
Foreword to the Third Edition
Vincent S. Haneman Jr.
From the Author
Eb Rice
Chapter 1 Permafrost: Its Care and Feeding
Chapter 2 Northern Construction: Siting and Foundations
Chapter 3 Northern Construction: Walls, Windows, Doors, and Flooring
Chapter 4 Northern Construction: Heating the Ideal Arctic House
Chapter 5 Northern Construction: Vapor Barriers
Chapter 6 Northern Construction: Windows
Chapter 7 Water Supply in the North
with Joe Alter
Chapter 8 Waste Management in the North with Joe Alter