In this engineering course you will learn how to analyze vaults (long-span roofs) from three perspectives:
- Efficiency = calculations of forces/stresses
- Economy = evaluation of societal context and cost
- Elegance = form/appearance based on engineering principles, not decoration
This course illustrates:
- how engineering is a creative discipline and can become art
- the influence of the economic and social context in vault design
- the interplay between forces and form
The course has been created for a general audience—no advanced math or engineering prerequisites are needed. This is the second of three courses on the Art of Structural Engineering, each of which are independent of each other. The course on bridges was launched in 2016, and another course will be developed on buildings/towers.