Engineering & MachinesStructural Design
The Arch
Loose stones stand for 2,000 years by pushing on each other
A curve of loose stones, with nothing gluing them, has stood over a city for nearly twenty centuries. What is holding it up?
You'll find out
- Why stone beams crack and arches don't
- What the last stone at the top does
- What a hanging chain knows about arches
Why it matters
Bridges, tunnels, domes and dams all borrow one trick: turning weight into squeezing, which stone and concrete love.
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