0
00:00:05,166 --> 00:00:08,086
>> With a focus on bridges, I will illustrate one,

1
00:00:08,286 --> 00:00:11,466
how engineering is a creative discipline and can become art.

2
00:00:12,346 --> 00:00:16,656
Two, the influence of the economic and social context in bridge design.

3
00:00:17,146 --> 00:00:20,216
And three, the interplay between forces and form.

4
00:00:22,026 --> 00:00:25,566
I will use examples of real bridges and real people to lead you

5
00:00:25,566 --> 00:00:28,056
through the fundamental principles of bridge engineering

6
00:00:28,116 --> 00:00:30,756
and examine the history and evolution of bridge design.

7
00:00:31,526 --> 00:00:35,686
In the short timeframe that I have, it's not possible to include all important bridges

8
00:00:35,766 --> 00:00:37,386
and important engineers in this course.

9
00:00:38,186 --> 00:00:40,846
Please read "The Tower and the Bridge" by David Billington

10
00:00:40,896 --> 00:00:42,936
to gain a deeper historical perspective.

11
00:00:43,746 --> 00:00:46,126
This book was published in 1983.

12
00:00:46,206 --> 00:00:50,876
So to give you a more modern perspective, I end the course with modern bridges of Spain

13
00:00:51,226 --> 00:00:53,586
as just a small example of current times.

14
00:00:54,966 --> 00:00:59,896
One major theme that runs through each lecture is that engineering is a creative discipline.

15
00:01:00,546 --> 00:01:06,506
Engineering creativity requires courage to try new things, discipline to stay

16
00:01:06,506 --> 00:01:10,306
within the boundaries of rational forms that lead to efficiency and economy,

17
00:01:10,946 --> 00:01:15,196
and creativity also requires play to search for proper form

18
00:01:15,316 --> 00:01:18,406
that is not only technically correct but also elegant.

19
00:01:19,086 --> 00:01:20,826
The course has several learning objectives.

20
00:01:20,876 --> 00:01:26,316
By the end of this course you will be able to one, recognize structural art.

21
00:01:26,726 --> 00:01:30,906
And for the important structures studied in the course, be able to identify the name

22
00:01:30,906 --> 00:01:33,156
of the structure and engineer who designed it.

23
00:01:34,386 --> 00:01:38,726
Two, solve for the efficiency of structures using appropriate formulas.

24
00:01:39,926 --> 00:01:45,386
Three, evaluate the success or not of a structure within the measures of structural art,

25
00:01:46,156 --> 00:01:48,376
efficiency, economy, and elegance.

26
00:01:49,996 --> 00:01:53,056
And four, illustrate how economic, social,

27
00:01:53,156 --> 00:01:56,506
and cultural contexts influence the design of bridges.

28
00:01:57,596 --> 00:02:02,276
You will also learn about different bridges’ structural forms including suspension bridges,

29
00:02:02,426 --> 00:02:08,196
beams, pre-stressed bridges, arch bridges, cable-stayed bridges, and tied-arch bridges.

30
00:02:09,076 --> 00:02:12,776
For each of these forms, you will develop an understanding of how the loads supported

31
00:02:12,776 --> 00:02:16,276
by the bridge travel through the different parts of the bridge to the foundations.

32
00:02:17,616 --> 00:02:19,586
The course is designed for a general audience.

33
00:02:19,806 --> 00:02:21,476
No engineering background is needed.

34
00:02:22,146 --> 00:02:27,516
And the teaching consists of lectures, which focus on social and symbolic aspects,

35
00:02:28,276 --> 00:02:33,296
structural studies which focus on the scientific aspect and online questions.

36
00:02:34,246 --> 00:02:36,966
The structural studies, which are about five pages long,

37
00:02:37,016 --> 00:02:40,986
will guide you through some fundamental equations of statics and equilibrium

38
00:02:40,986 --> 00:02:45,336
to calculate the forces imposed by the weight of traffic and the weight of the structure itself.

39
00:02:46,366 --> 00:02:50,486
Course participants with stronger technical training may find the calculations

40
00:02:50,486 --> 00:02:52,086
in the assignments too simplistic,

41
00:02:52,556 --> 00:02:56,356
but these formulas are not watered-down versions of what engineers use today.

42
00:02:56,886 --> 00:03:01,676
They are the fundamental equations used by every engineer to analyze and design bridges,

43
00:03:01,926 --> 00:03:04,666
in particular in the conceptual phase of design.

44
00:03:05,456 --> 00:03:09,176
In the lectures, I will trace the development of outstanding bridges that arose

45
00:03:09,436 --> 00:03:12,786
with new materials that were developed after the industrial revolution

46
00:03:13,696 --> 00:03:18,666
such as industrialized iron then structural steel then reinforced concrete

47
00:03:18,876 --> 00:03:20,456
and finally pre-stressed concrete.

48
00:03:21,886 --> 00:03:26,126
With each new material comes a new relationship between forces and form.

49
00:03:27,626 --> 00:03:32,666
For iron and steel, we have smaller members and therefore challenges of buckling or stability.

50
00:03:33,576 --> 00:03:37,686
With reinforced concrete, we have the relationship between the steel and concrete.

51
00:03:38,106 --> 00:03:40,896
And with pre-stressed concrete, we have the challenges

52
00:03:40,896 --> 00:03:43,056
of what's called creep that you learn about.

53
00:03:43,686 --> 00:03:47,336
To start this historical perspective of form, we need to travel to Great Britain

54
00:03:47,746 --> 00:03:49,866
where one can argue that structural art began.

55
00:03:50,556 --> 00:03:54,796
Therefore, we begin our lecture series with Thomas Telford and British metal forms.

56
00:03:55,296 --> 00:03:56,716
I hope you'll join us.