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How Structures Work: Design and Behaviour from Bridges to Buildings [252749]

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The alliance between architecture and structural engineering is fundamental to the design of the buildings and bridges around us. Anyone who needs or wants to “understand” a building must have a good understanding of the structural concepts involved. Yet “structure” is often cloaked in mathematics – which many find difficult to get to grips with.

How Structures Work has been written to explain the behaviour of structures in a clear way without resorting to complex mathematics. Using the minimum of mathematics it explains the structural concepts clearly, illustrated by many historical and contemporary examples, allowing readers to build up a general understanding of structures. In this way they can easily comprehend the structural aspects of buildings for themselves.

Primarily aimed at students who require a good qualitative understanding of the behaviour of structures and their materials, it will be of particular interest to students of architecture and building surveying, plus architectural historians and conservationists. The straightforward, non-mathematical approach ensures it will also be suitable for a wider audience including building administrators, archaeologists and the interested layman.

Introduction.
This sets out the aims of the book and the method to be used.
2 Brackets and bridges.
Using the failure of the Quebec bridge as a starting point, this and the Forth Bridge are explained in terms of a simple shelf bracket, so demonstrating that the lower members are in compression and the upper members are in tension. Buckling failure of compression members is demonstrated using a simple garden cane and the story of the failure is explained.
This chapter introduces the idea of moments of forces to enable forces in members to be estimated.
3 The girder bridge.
The idea of a truss is developed by first describing the propping of bridge beams from below. It is then possible to show that a similar arrangement of struts can be placed above the bridge deck with hangers. More complex trusses, beginning with Palladio's Cismone bridge, and then considering those of the Grubenmanns, are explained as combinations of simple king post and queen post trusses. The modern view of the truss as a series of braced panels is then developed describing US timber and iron bridges. This chapter introduces the idea of components of forces.
4 Arches and suspension bridges.
This chapter begins with Hooke's statement about the similar shapes of an arch and hanging chain.
Questions about the behaviour of arches are first raised by considering the initial failure and then successful construction of the bridge ant Pontypridd and the controversy over the elliptical shape of Mylne's Blackfriars Bridge. The formation of hinges in the failure of an arch is described and the method described for finding the line of thrust.
The experiments of Finley for determining the proportions of a suspension bridge are described with Finley's results determined using the triangle of forces. The chapter introduces the idea of the triangle of forces.
5 The structural scheme.
Bridges have been discussed in these early chapters because, apart form the problem of wind loads, they are two-dimensional structures in which the structural components are clearly apparent. The problem for buildings is that they are three-dimensional structures in which the designer often has some choice about the disposition of the structural elements. Moreover the load-bearing elements are often not immediately distinguishable from those that are not load-bearing. This issue is discussed in order to prepare the reader for the following chapters.
6 Walls.
The construction of dry-stone walls and thick walls using mortar is described as is the mechanism of failure by separation of the facings from the core. The stability of walls under horizontal loads is examined in relation to gravity dams and roof thrusts and buttresses. For the latter friction forces in resisting shear are considered. Stresses at the foundations under combined vertical and horizontal forces are examined. Some consideration is given to the connection between the floors and the wall. The means of providing stability of thin walls is discussed and diaphragm action in walls described. The problem of buttressing arches in buildings is discussed by considering the various rules used in the past for proportioning buttresses.
7 Beams and floors.
The deflected shape of beams is examined and the method by which the depth of beams can be increased to improve their strength.
The relationship between stress and strain is introduced.
Starting with Galileo's discussion of a cantilever, the internal stresses in a beam are examined and related to the ideal shape for cast iron and steel beams and girders.
The relationship between the deflection and stresses in a cantilever are compared to those in simply supported beams.
The idea of bending moments in a beam is introduced.
8 Roofs.
Starting with a simple common rafter roof the idea of the triangle of forces is again used to demonstrate the outward thrust of the rafters. The problem of ensuring longitudinal stability is raised and the crown post roof is described. The failure in modern times to take account of this issue is discussed in relation to trussed rafter roofs.
The use of purlins to assist the rafters is discussed and the various forms of roof frame used to support these. The use of wind bracing is described.
The development of hammerbeam roofs and their possible structural action is discussed.
The shift to trussed roofs is described and the development of open iron and timber roofs of the nineteenth century.
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9 Vaults and domes.
Having related the behaviour of a vault to that of an arch, the behaviour of cross vaults is described. The behaviour of Romanesque and Gothic vaulting is related to the overall behaviour of the structure and the form of buttressing. This leads to a discussion of the behaviour and shape of flying buttresses and to the development of cracking in the vaults. There is a brief discussion of the construction of vaults and the use of ribs.
The presence of hoop stresses in domes is explained and the relationship between these and wither the shape of masonry domes or the need for tensile reinforcement discussed.
The principle of virtual work is introduced in relation to the eighteenth century analysis of St Peter's, Rome.
10 Frames - timber to iron.
This chapter concerns the overall stability of frames under racking loads. It considers the bracing of timber frames and the use of moment connectors in iron and steel frames to provide stability. Examples of the latter are the Crystal Palace and the Shearness Boat Store.
Having developed this idea for these simple buildings the methods of bracing of tall buildings is considered.
11 Modern materials.
This chapter explores the developments in architectural form that became possible with the introduction of reinforced concrete. It will thus look at examples of Modern Movement buildings. It will also consider the development of shell structures in the post-war period, consider the use of prestressing and the use of suspension structures.
Glossary: As building terms are not commonly understood by laymen, a glossary is provided of those used in the book.
Grammar: This provides a condensed account of the structural ideas used within the book. For an explanations see the Intoduction.
Appendices: A few of the ideas developed in the book will be carried a little further in the appendix for those adventurous enough to want to explore more complex situations.
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How Structures Work: Design and Behaviour from Bridges to Buildings

Author:	Yeomans, David
Date Published:	July 2009
Document Type:	Books
Format:	Paperback
ISBN13:	9781405190176
Pages:	264
Publisher:	Wiley-Blackwell
More Information:	More information for this title

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