The concept of this book is that of a personal tool, which compacts 20 percent of the data that is needed 80 percent of the time by electrical design professionals in the preliminary design of buildings of all types and sizes.

This tool is meant to always be at one s fingertips (open on a drawing board, desk, or computer table; carried in a briefcase; or kept in one's pocket). It is never meant to sit on a bookshelf. It is meant to be used everyday!

Because design professionals are individualistic and their practices are so varied, the user is encouraged to individualize this book by adding notes or changing data as experience dictates.

Building codes and laws, new technologies, and materials are ever changing in this industry. Therefore, this book should be viewed as a starter of simple data collection that must be updated over time. New editions may be published in the future.

Because this book is so broad in scope, yet so compact, information can be presented in only one location, and not repeated. It is expected that the experienced practitioner is generally knowledgeable about the data and knows how to apply it properly. Information is often presented in the form of simple ratios, coefficients, application tips, or rules of thumb that leave the need for commonsense judgment.

This book is unique among handbooks. It provides myriad valuable time-saving data for the experienced practitioner, yet there are enough concept explanations and examples on...