The Science of Bridges, Buildings, Dams, and Other Feats of Engineering
How can a graceful and slender bridge support enormous loads over truly astonishing spans? Why can domes and free-standing arches survive earthquakes that flatten the rest of a city? The building of big dams and high skyscrapers requires the right geology as well as the right technology. Materials technology determines bridge design--cable-stayed bridges are quite different from the earlier suspension bridges, which they resemble. Explosive demolition of buildings (above) requires considerable expertise to drop the structure onto its own footprint--and it doesn't always work. The same physical principles underlie all our large engineering projects, and these principles can be explained with little math. Many people see beauty in large structures; knowing something of the science and technology of these behemoths only enhances this beauty. Super Structures (2010) is published by Johns Hopkins University Press.