Geomaterials Under the Microscope

Jeremy Ingham,

...a superbly illustrated text that will introduce many practitioners of mineralogic, petrographic and micromorphologic subdisciplines of geosciences to the intriguing and fascinating ‘world’ of the microscopic examination of a wide range of building materials... a formidable set of colour photographs... an excellent desk-top manual for anyone interested in geomaterials; this book has been written by a practising expert and reflects the interest and passion that the author brings to his subject not only in the larger details but in the many small but exceptional points of interest required when viewing and understanding these complex geomaterials... covers almost all building stone materials that one is likely to encounter in the construction industry... Ingham brings fresh insight to these materials... an enormous body of work is covered in this text accompanied by such superb illustrations. Ingham has produced an excellent review of geomaterials and has, at the same time, introduced a strongly applied aspect to this work. The link between geosciences and geomaterials could not have been better achieved... this text will become the benchmark on geomaterials for years to come... much is to be learned from this very useful text’s approach and insightful commentary and illustrations.—John Menzies, Proceedings of the Geologists' Association, July 2011...a worthy contribution to this growing area, which bridges the earth and materials sciences with significant reference to the underlying chemistry and crystallography. In doing so, its relevance to the practice of civil engineering is emphasised through well-chosen examples of materials in service and of their failure, induced by numerous mechanisms. Aimed at the practicing materials specialist, this book will also be of considerable value to those whose role involves interpreting expert opinion on geomaterials and to students of this field... illustrated with carefully selected micrographs and photographs... the faithful reproduction of the colour plates are a great credit to the publishers and printers... clear and succinct, yet contain[s] a wealth of valuable information, all richly illustrated... a worthy contribution to the literature in applied mineralogy and microscopy and is highly recommended. It will undoubtedly become an essential addition to the reference shelf of those working in this field.—Mark Tyrer, Mineralogical magazine, February 2011...a systematic, knowledgeable and focused approach to the subject. It is presented in a readable and informative style, illustrated with 370 quality colour photographs... The publisher Manson is extremely experienced in producing this type of high quality reference book... This text should certainly grace the libraries of civil engineering, architectural, materials, geological and archaeological university departments. Within the field of restorative stone conservation, this text will provide the benchmark from which to understand the range of geomaterials used. Retailing at £50 it would not be out of the price range or place on either a dedicated 4th year undergraduate or Masters Students bookshelf as a text book... a well illustrated, informative and useful volume.—Owen Green, InFocus, June 2011beautifully reproduced colour slides... a serious presentation of the subject, useful for the specialist or the worker with the various construction materials... the section on sampling is invaluable for the field practitioners... detailed descriptions of the material and their deterioration mechanisms... a valuable reference, well worth the £50 list price.—Paul Livesey, Building Limes Forum Newsletter, June 2011...an extremely useful addition to the literature... the depth of coverage is sufficient to provide both a thorough introduction for those with limited prior knowledge and a useful, up-to-date summary for more experienced readers... the selection of references clearly indicates the depth of the author's familiarity with the literature on the topic... 370 beautiful colour micrographs... provide a useful overview... the book is a pleasure to read. The attention to the details of production is apparent...—Frances Gale, APT Bulletin, October 2011...contains information that would be useful to builders, architects, engineers and anyone with an interest in the building industry... While [the author] describes himself as a geomaterials engineer, his bias towards geology does not prevent the book from being useful to the general reader... I recommend this book to anyone interested in building materials...—Dr George West, Materials World, January 2012This new well-illustrated book makes a clear and substantial case as to the real and fundamental value of petrographic methods for the investigation and evaluation of geomaterials of all kinds. There are few other modern reference works that provide an introductory practical guide to using the microscope to explore scientifically the properties of these materials and none that explore such a wide range of geomaterials as is covered by this volume... well illustrated... a practical and professional approach... particularly useful to a beginner or trainee entering the field of professional applied petrography... practical and clear introductory guidance to the use of the optical microscope in the investigation of the microstructure, mineralogy and composition of a very broad and diverse range of important constructional materials... of greatest value to geologist petrographers, materials scientists, engineers and technical legal experts...—Alan B. Poole, ICE Proceedings, August 2012...a boon to all geologists involved in the use of rock in the construction industry... every one of us should have a copy of this excellent book, as should any geologist or petrologist with some involvement in construction materials. It should also be an essential part of the training of undergraduate engineering geologists... a delight to read and kept opening my eyes to new knowledge and techniques... numerous useful tips... content is applicable to essentially any geomaterial, irrespective of its country of origin... excellent photographs... clear and well-laid out tables... extremely useful for postgraduate studies... extremely interesting and useful... geologists involved in construction materials will definitely benefit from this book... beautifully printed on glossy paper with a solid hard cover... should be on every geomaterials specialist’s desk (not bookshelf) next to a petrographic microscope... good value for money.—Phil Paige-Green, Quarterly Journal of Engineering Geology and Hydrogeology, November 2012

• Introduction. Building stone. Roofing slate. Aggregates. Concrete. Concrete products. Flooring materials. Mortar. Bricks. Bituminous mixtures.