Statics – everything’s in order!
Do you know of the Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy? In its leanest years, it had a tilt of 5.5% – that’s so much that an ice cream would fall out of its cone. Splat!
Buildings must be built stably on solid ground, otherwise, in the worst case, they can collapse. Therefore, there are various professions that take care of the stability of a house. When a new house is built, geotechnical engineers check whether the soil is suitable. Their findings are important for structural engineers. These people are not only familiar with building materials, but also with mathematics and physics. They calculate how strong the foundations should be and how big, tall and heavy the house is allowed to be, so that it doesn’t fall in on itself, sink into the ground, or become endangered by a strong storm or an earthquake.
This job has existed since the 19th century. At that time, new, heavy building materials such as steel and complex construction projects such as the building of railway bridges played a major role. Stability was a particularly difficult task, requiring new specialists.
Fundamentals of Static
Every building is subject to many physical forces acting upon it: the weight of the building materials, the weight of people and furniture, and external influences such as snow, wind, heat, traffic, or water. All of this affects the stability of a building.
Builders noticed this even in earlier times. However, they couldn’t explain it scientifically. They relied on their experience and the knowledge of their ancestors. The Roman architect Vitruvius (1st century BC) was the first to write down all the principles of building in a book. It is called „De Architectura“ and describes building forms, materials, and construction techniques. In Trier, there are Roman buildings that have stood for almost 2000 years – pretty stable!
Other buildings haven’t lasted as long. From the Middle Ages, there are reports of large churches that collapsed during construction. Therefore, during their training, the master builders visited many construction sites to learn from other architects, bricklayers and stonemasons.
Have you heard of Galileo Galilei and Isaac Newton? These famous scientists succeeded in learning more about the stability of buildings during the 16th and 18th centuries. They discovered important laws of physics and mathematics that made it possible to calculate statics. This made it possible to better predict the safety of buildings and to try out new things.
Why is the Leaning Tower of Pisa so wonky?
You will find the answer here.