Lecture

Introduction to Structures in Architecture

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In course

CIVIL-122: Structures I

Le cours présente les bases du comportement des structures, de la détermination des efforts qui y agissent et les principes de leur dimensionnement. Le cours est basé sur la résolution des efforts par la statique graphique. ...

Description

This lecture provides an introduction to the functioning of structures in architecture, covering topics such as beams, trellis, arcs, cables, vaults, domes, hulls, rigidity, lattice, stability, deformations, and subsystems. Students will learn about the balance, efforts, resistance, and sizing of various structural elements. The course emphasizes the art of structures through exercises, videos, and course materials, aiming to develop a deep understanding of load-bearing structures. The pace of the course involves watching 4 to 6 videos per week, with exercises to be completed over 15 weeks. Architecture students will benefit from learning about different types of loads, materials, and sizing in structures.

Instructor

Olivier Burdet

Born 1960, Olivier Burdet has received his Diploma in Civil Engineering from EPFL in 1983. After a couple years in engineering practice, he went back to studying at the university of Texas at Austin, where he received his PhD in 1990. Returning to EPFL in 1990, he is now a senior researcher and a lecturer in the field of reinforced concrete structures. He is also actively involved in the development of internet-based course contents and MOOCs.

Official source

Related concepts (32)

Groin vault

A groin vault or groined vault (also sometimes known as a double barrel vault or cross vault) is produced by the intersection at right angles of two barrel vaults. The word "groin" refers to the edge between the intersecting vaults. Sometimes the arches of groin vaults are pointed instead of round. In comparison with a barrel vault, a groin vault provides good economies of material and labor. The thrust is concentrated along the groins or arrises (the four diagonal edges formed along the points where the barrel vaults intersect), so the vault need only be abutted at its four corners.

Dome

A dome () is an architectural element similar to the hollow upper half of a sphere. There is significant overlap with the term cupola, which may also refer to a dome or a structure on top of a dome. The precise definition of a dome has been a matter of controversy and there are a wide variety of forms and specialized terms to describe them. A dome can rest directly upon a rotunda wall, a drum, or a system of squinches or pendentives used to accommodate the transition in shape from a rectangular or square space to the round or polygonal base of the dome.

Rib vault

A rib vault or ribbed vault is an architectural feature for covering a wide space, such as a church nave, composed of a framework of crossed or diagonal arched ribs. Variations were used in Roman architecture, Byzantine architecture, Islamic architecture, Romanesque architecture, and especially Gothic architecture. Thin stone panels fill the space between the ribs. This greatly reduced the weight and thus the outward thrust of the vault. The ribs transmit the load downward and outward to specific points, usually rows of columns or piers.

Barrel vault

A barrel vault, also known as a tunnel vault, wagon vault or wagonhead vault, is an architectural element formed by the extrusion of a single curve (or pair of curves, in the case of a pointed barrel vault) along a given distance. The curves are typically circular in shape, lending a semi-cylindrical appearance to the total design. The barrel vault is the simplest form of a vault: effectively a series of arches placed side by side (i.e., one after another). It is a form of barrel roof.

Rolling-element bearing

In mechanical engineering, a rolling-element bearing, also known as a rolling bearing, is a bearing which carries a load by placing rolling elements (such as balls or rollers) between two concentric, grooved rings called races. The relative motion of the races causes the rolling elements to roll with very little rolling resistance and with little sliding. One of the earliest and best-known rolling-element bearings are sets of logs laid on the ground with a large stone block on top.

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