Structures: Or Why Things Don't Fall Down
by J. E. Gordon | July 10, 2003 | Engineering & Transportation
For anyone who has ever wondered why suspension bridges don't collapse under eight lanes of traffic, how dams hold back--or give way under--thousands of gallons of water, or what principles guide the design of a skyscraper, a bias-cut dress, or a kangaroo, this book will ease your anxiety and answer your questions.
Structures: Or Why Things Don't Fall Down is an informal explanation of the basic...
For anyone who has ever wondered why suspension bridges don't collapse under eight lanes of traffic, how dams hold back--or give way under--thousands of gallons of water, or what principles guide the design of a skyscraper, a bias-cut dress, or a kangaroo, this book will ease your anxiety and answer your questions.
Structures: Or Why Things Don't Fall Down is an informal explanation of the basic forces that hold together the ordinary and essential things of this world--from buildings and bodies to flying aircraft and eggshells. In a style that combines wit, a masterful command of his subject, and an encyclopedic range of reference, Gordon includes such chapters as "How to Design a Worm" and "The Advantage of Being a Beam," offering humorous insights in human and natural creation.
Architects and engineers will appreciate the clear and cogent explanations of the concepts of stress, shear, torsion, fracture, and compression. If you're building a house, a sailboat, or a catapult, here is a handy tool for understanding the mechanics of joinery, floors, ceilings, hulls, masts--or flying buttresses.
Without jargon or oversimplification, Structures opens up the marvels of technology to anyone interested in the foundations of our everyday lives.
More details for Structures: Or Why Things Don't Fall Down
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ISBN #
0306812835
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Page count
421 pages
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Publication Date
July 10, 2003
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Publisher
Da Capo Press
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Category
Non-Fiction
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Genre
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Amazon Star Rating
4.7
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Amazon Ratings Count
1,114 ratings
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Amazon Last Rating Data Date
August 26, 2021
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