The great Gothic cathedrals of Europe are among the most astonishing achievements of Western culture. Evoking feelings of awe and humility, they make us want to understand what inspired the people who had the audacity to build them. This engrossing book surveys an era that has fired the historical imagination for centuries. In it Robert A. Scott explores why medieval people built Gothic cathedrals, how they built them, what conception of the divine lay behind their creation, and how religious and secular leaders used cathedrals for social and political purposes. As a traveler's companion or a rich source of knowledge for the armchair enthusiast, "The Gothic Enterprise" helps us understand how ordinary people managed such tremendous feats of physical and creative energy at a time when technology was rudimentary, famine and disease were rampant, the climate was often harsh, and communal life was unstable and incessantly violent. While most books about Gothic cathedrals focus on a particular building or on the c
Structural Modeling and Experimental Techniques presents a current treatment of structural modeling for applications in design, research, education, and product development. Providing numerous case studies throughout, the book emphasizes modeling the behavior of reinforced and prestressed concrete and masonry structures. Structural Modeling and Experimental Techniques: Concentrates on the modeling of the true inelastic behavior of structures Provides case histories detailing applications of the modeling techniques to real structures Discusses the historical background of model analysis and similitude principles governing the design, testing, and interpretation of models Evaluates the limitations and benefits of elastic models Analyzes materials for reinforced concrete masonry and steel models Assesses the critical nature of scale effects of model testing Describes selected laboratory techniques and loading methods Contains material on errors as well as the accuracy and reliability of physical
