Acknowledgements

The editor gratefully acknowledges the efforts of contributors in preparing excellent manuscripts. Thanks are also due to the management and staff at John A. Martin and Associates, Inc., especially Jack and Trailer Martin, who have always graciously understood and accommodated my frequent shifts of emphasis from everyday office practice to writing textbooks and technical articles. If it had not been for their encouragement and support, this project would have not been completed.

The production of this edition of the handbook was made possible by the heroic efforts of two young and very talented persons. Mark Day patiently and diligently managed the digital typesetting and repeated content revisions with his usual grace, smile, and dedication. Hesaam Aslani on his short stay with our firm on his way to graduate studies at the Stanford University prepared early camera-ready versions of most of the chapters and checked mathematical expressions and numerical examples.

The International Conference of Building Officials (ICBO) and particularly Mark Johnson of that organization were a constant source of encouragement and support. It is a distinct honor to have this handbook endorsed by both ICBO and the National Council of Structural Engineers Associations.

The editor is indebted to the readers of the first edition for their very positive and encouraging feedback and for their constant reminders of their desire to see a second edition of the handbook.

Last, but not least, the editor is grateful to his life-partner and wife, Fariba, who patiently understood the need for his extended hours of work, and his children Mana and Mahan who accommodated a daddy who often could not play because he had a lot of work to do.