book
active
book:antonio-gaudi-by-sweeney-and-sertANTONIO GAUDÍ by Sweeney and Sert
Book referenced for Gaudi's hanging chain structural design method.
Extracted from this book
Claims (11)
- Exact repetition flies in the face of the fundamental principle of unfolding.Critique of modern structural repetition as contradictory to the idea that each part should be unique.
- Function follows from well-ordered space, apparently because the forces we think of as functional are themselves geometric and themselves space-like.Recapitulation of a thesis from Book 1, applied to engineering.
- Good engineering structure follows, directly or indirectly, from the use of living process.Core claim of the chapter, supported by multiple examples and findings.
- The building as a whole is virtually pure art.Claim that the pattern of solid and void, the creation of centers, is pure art, not a mixture of practical and art.
- The deep nature of space appears to be so profound that just the geometric unfolding, when done properly, leads to results which make sense from an engineering point of view.The mystery that beautiful geometry often yields good structural behavior is acknowledged but not yet fully explained mathematically.
- The floral plant-like truss that emerged was a completely new structural configuration, a previously unknown tension network arch.Claim about the structural innovation achieved through the unfolding process.
- The fundamental process will produce a unique thing each time that it is used.Claim that uniqueness emerges naturally from the unfolding process.
- The interlock of space and mass is the crux of architecture.State that the heart of architecture lies in forming an interlocking fabric of positive space and solid.
- The structure which is created by a feeling for centers and by a conscious and deliberate aim towards the feeling of the whole, will often turn out to be an efficient structure.Reiterated empirical observation from twenty years of practice.
- The very same positive space which creates a truss's beauty also creates its structural stability and good structural behavior.Direct connection between aesthetic quality and engineering performance.
- When you use nicely shaped triangles, the triangles naturally get smaller where the area of the truss gets tighter, corresponding to the zone with the biggest flow of forces.Observation about the cooperation between geometric features and structural features.
Findings (8)
- Finite element analysis of first curved truss showed huge shears at base and excessive moments in curvesFirst step of finite element analysis on a curved tracery truss revealed bad structural behavior.
- First plant-like truss: shear force of 7,400 lbs in top chord near peak (exceeding 3,344 lbs capacity); high shears in arch (4-8,000 lbs); high shear in edge member (8,000 lbs)Finite element analysis identified three critical shear problem areas in the first beautiful design.
- Inserting a diamond-shaped compression piece in the lily reduced bending and shear through upper portion via compression preventing internal torqueUnexpected structural action of a decorative element improved behavior.
- Lily configuration reduced shear to 5,000 lbs but caused bending moment of 114,000 inch lbs at peakAesthetic improvement solved shear but introduced high bending.
- Perfectly triangulated scissors truss had low bending moments and shears, all within capacityThe efficient triangulated model showed excellent structural behavior.
- Scissors truss tension straight member carried almost no tension; major tension went around arch itselfDetailed review of forces disproved the initial assumption that a straight tension tie was essential.
- Thick version of scissors truss became squat and ugly when members were widened to 6-9 inchesAesthetic failure when moving from theoretical lines to real dimensions.
- Using steel stiffness instead of concrete stiffness in finite element model reduced shears in main arch, lowered bending moments, and changed several strut forces from compression to tensionConsidering realistic rebar stiffness uncovered a novel tension network behavior.
Neighborhood — ranked by edge-count
Chapters (1)
chapter
- Chapter 6 of Volume 3 of The Nature of Order, showing how the fundamental process generates engineering structure and positive space.