“Hillhouse explains the mysterious structures we see every day—everything from cable boxes and transformers to cell‑tower masts—detailing their construction and how they work. This book will satisfy your curiosity and answer questions you didn’t even know you had.”
—Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft

“A superb resource on a wide range of civil engineering topics, perfect for browsing, reading, or research.”
—Rob Tench, Library Journal

“Grady is the ideal person to explain engineering to us… He’s a master storyteller who can turn technical knowledge into compelling narratives that even those with little background in technology can dive into. His book is a perfect extension of this unique skill. By borrowing concepts typically applied to the natural world—field guides!—and applying them to, well, the unnatural one, he helped me finally understand some basic yet crucial things… like how cell towers work.”
—David Goldenberg, MinuteEarth science communication team

“For anyone who simply wants to understand the world around them… I highly recommend it.”
—Isaac Oakeson, Chairman of Civil Engineering Academy (a well-known engineering training institution) and Senior Engineer at Ulteig Consulting Engineers

“This is a top‑notch ‘Bob the Builder’‑style guide! Perfect for young and old alike who are curious about the everyday wonders of engineering. From asphalt to voltage regulators, their view of the world will never be the same.”
—The Austin Chronicle

“An engaging and informative work that helps us better understand the world around us.”
—Geek_Dude, GeekTechStuff blogger

“A concise explanation of everyday engineering phenomena… with just enough detail to address many specific questions about infrastructure.”
—Lee Teschler, Design World Online

“Highly readable and packed with illustrations, making these subjects accessible even to non‑engineers… an excellent reference for classrooms and school libraries.”
—Terry Freedman, ICT & Computing in Education, educational technology consultant, writer, and trainer

“Perfect for readers with a strong sense of curiosity and a vivid imagination.”
—ED Corbeels, Purdue University

“I’m thrilled to have secured this book; it may well become my all‑time favorite.”
—@GavinInNY

★ A wildly popular civil engineer and science communicator, Grady Hillhouse is the founder of “Practical Engineering,” one of YouTube’s largest engineering channels and a hit educational series featured on Science and Discovery Channel—his videos have collectively surpassed 100 million views worldwide!
★ Featured at the top of Microsoft founder Bill Gates’s personal reading list!
★ A five-star bestseller on Amazon! Its rankings include:
#1 in Civil & Environmental Engineering
#2 in Architectural Buildings
#6 in Construction Engineering
★ Translation rights have been sold for Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Korean, Spanish, Polish, Vietnamese, Turkish, and Kazakh.
★ The first English-language print run of 75,000 copies sold out within a month of publication! A second printing was launched in early November, with pre-orders already totaling 110,000 through Amazon alone.
★ It appeared on Publishers Weekly’s Bestseller List as No. 12 in the Hardcover Nonfiction category.
★ A captivating and engaging illustrated guide to the built environment! Packed with vibrant full-color illustrations, it offers clear, accessible explanations of nearly every aspect of the architecture around us, revealing fascinating details about how our world operates—exploring power grids, roads, bridges, foundations, tunnels, dams, urban water and sewage systems, and much more.
★ A book that both non-engineering professionals and general readers can understand and enjoy! It bridges the gap between technical expertise and everyday audiences, transforming the act of observing infrastructure and architectural structures from a mundane chore into an entertaining daily pastime—pure fun!
★ Take readers on a journey to decode the world we’ve built, and meet the passionate individuals who devise creative solutions to meet humanity’s most basic needs.

Each section of this book features vibrant illustrations, making it both an engaging and accessible popular science read and an ideal companion for road trips—transforming how readers perceive the field of architecture and the built environment. The book even expands upon the themes and genres of on-the-ground guidebooks, covering everything from natural phenomena to man-made structures. It offers a fresh perspective by situating environmental elements within their broader context, encouraging readers to notice and learn about the characteristics of nearby power grids, highways, railways, bridges, tunnels, waterways, and more. This will spark curiosity, interest, and involvement in how the infrastructure around us is designed and built, inspiring everyone to become advocates for the fascinating discipline of civil engineering!

Grady Hillhouse
A highly popular civil engineer and science communicator, Grady is the founder of the wildly successful YouTube channel “Practical Engineering,” which has grown into one of the largest engineering channels on the platform, boasting nearly 3 million subscribers and millions of views each month. His videos focus on infrastructure and the built environment, attracting widespread attention from YouTube users, universities, museums, and media outlets around the world, and have been featured on Science Channel, Discovery Channel, and numerous other publications.
Before dedicating himself full-time to creating educational content, Grady worked as an engineering consultant for nearly a decade, contributing to various infrastructure projects, primarily dams and hydraulic structures. It all began in 2015 when he helped his wife introduce engineering to her elementary school students in a fun, creative way—what started as a hobby eventually became his full-time career. In 2018, he also began collaborating with the Carnegie Science Center in Pittsburgh, helping to develop models for their “Science on the Go” program, which introduces students from kindergarten through eighth grade to career opportunities in science and technology.
Grady holds degrees from Texas State University and Texas A&M University. He earned a degree in Civil Engineering with a specialization in Water Resources Engineering from Texas A&M University between 2009 and 2012, and in December 2016, he was certified as a Professional Engineer by the Texas Board of Professional Engineers.

Preface

I. Power Grid
Introduction
Overview of the Power Grid
Thermal Power Plants
Wind Farms
Transmission Towers
Components of Transmission Lines
Substations
Substation Equipment
Typical Utility Poles
Distribution Equipment

II. Communications
Introduction
Overview of Telecommunications
Underground Communications
Radio Antenna Towers
Satellite Communications
Cellular Communication Technology

III. Highways
Introduction
Urban Arterials and Collector Roads
Pedestrian and Bicycle Infrastructure
Traffic Signals
Traffic Signs and Markings
Highway Earthworks and Retaining Walls
Typical Highway Cross Sections
Typical Highway Layouts
Interchanges

IV. Bridges and Tunnels
Introduction
Bridge Types
Typical Bridges
Tunnel Overview
Tunnel Cross Sections

V. Railways
Introduction
Rail Tracks
Switches and Signals
Level Crossings
Electrified Railways

VI. Dams, Levees, and Coastal Structures
…
VII. Urban Water Supply and Drainage
…
VIII. Buildings
…

Acknowledgments
Glossary
Index