Engineering · Structures and vibration

Arches, Domes & Towers

Hang a chain and flip it into a perfect arch, raise the Pantheon’s dome, prop up a Gothic wall, and see why a bridge dances and a skyscraper carries a giant pendulum.

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Live lab Lessons24

First lesson01 · Squeeze or stretch?See all 24 lessons →

The course

6 worlds · 24 lessons

World 1 · Hang a Chain, Build an Arch

FREECompression, tension, the catenary, thrust and the line of thrust

World 2 · Domes from the Pantheon to Hagia Sophia

PROMeridian and hoop stresses, Roman concrete, pendentives and stress maps

World 3 · Flying Buttresses

PROTall stone vaults, thrust carried outside, pinnacle weight and the limits of height

World 4 · Suspension vs Cable-Stayed

PROCable sag and tension, bridge anatomy, stay forces and choosing a bridge

World 5 · When a Bridge Dances

PROResonance, damping, crowds in step and the real story of Tacoma Narrows

World 6 · Skyscrapers and the Wind

PROGravity and wind loads, vortex shedding, tuned mass dampers and a tower design

Engineering · Structures and vibration

Arches, Domes & Towers

Hang a chain and flip it into a perfect arch, raise the Pantheon’s dome, prop up a Gothic wall, and see why a bridge dances and a skyscraper carries a giant pendulum.

Arches, Domes & Towers

Report a mistake

6 worlds · 24 lessons

World 1 · Hang a Chain, Build an Arch

World 2 · Domes from the Pantheon to Hagia Sophia

World 3 · Flying Buttresses

World 4 · Suspension vs Cable-Stayed

World 5 · When a Bridge Dances

World 6 · Skyscrapers and the Wind

Arches, Domes & Towers

Arches, Domes & Towers

Report a mistake

6 worlds · 24 lessons

World 1 · Hang a Chain, Build an Arch

World 2 · Domes from the Pantheon to Hagia Sophia

World 3 · Flying Buttresses

World 4 · Suspension vs Cable-Stayed

World 5 · When a Bridge Dances

World 6 · Skyscrapers and the Wind