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Reminds me of Filippo Brunelleschi; in the 1400s he grokked structural mechanics far better than anyone else and protested supporting the domed ceiling of the P
by dayjah 2y ago
Reminds me of Filippo Brunelleschi; in the 1400s he grokked structural mechanics far better than anyone else and protested supporting the domed ceiling of the Pazzi chapel with columns. All the engineers of the time made the case he was wrong, and such a large dome needed support — he built the columns and had them finish a few inches short of the ceiling. This was discovered many years later and has become part of architecture lore.
- kitd 2y agoThere's a similar story about Brunel building Maidenhead Railway Bridge, which 160 years later still has the widest, flattest brick arches in the world (if that makes sense). The authorities absolutely required him to support the arches while the rest of the bridge was built, but he refused, knowing it was safe. He eventually relented but built the supporting structure a (visible) foot too short, just to prove his point.
- DaiPlusPlus 2y ago> Maidenhead Railway Bridge Excuse my ignorance, but, uh… what stops the bricks from just falling down (onto peoples’ heads) when their surrounding mortar/cement fails?
- cortesoft 2y agoA proper arch shape supports its own weight and the load above it because of its shape, without needing any mortar or cement. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arch https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arch