TY  - BOOK
AU  - Gordon,J.E.
TI  - Structures, or, Why things don't fall down
SN  - 9780306812835
AV  - TA645 .G65 2003
U1  - 624.171 GO.S 2003 23
PY  - 2003///
CY  - New York
PB  - Da Capo Press
KW  - Structural analysis (Engineering)
KW  - Structural engineering
N1  - Originally published: Harmondsworth : Penguin Books, 1978; Includes bibliographical references (pages 388-390) and index; Foreword -- The structure in our lives : or how to communicate with engineers -- Part I. The difficult birth of the science of elasticity. Why structures carry loads : or the springiness of solids ; The invention of stress and strain : or Baron Cauchy and the decipherment of Young's modulus ; Designing for safety : or can you really trust strength calculations? ; Strain energy and modern fracture mechanics : with a digression on bows, catapults and kangaroos -- Part II. Tension structures. Tension structures and pressure vessels : with some remarks on boilers, bats and Chinese junks ; Joints, fastenings and people : also about creep and chariot wheels ; Soft materials and living structures : or how to design a worm -- Part III. Compression and bending structures. Walls, arches and dams : or cloud-capp'd towers and the stability of masonry ; Something about bridges : or Saint Bénezèt and Saint Isambard ; The advantage of being a beam : with observations on roofs, trusses and masts ; The mysteries of shear and torsion : or Polaris and the bias-cut nightie ; The various ways of failing in compression : or sandwiches, skulls and Dr. Euler -- Part IV. And the consequence was ... The philosophy of design : or the shape, the weight and the cost ; A chapter of accidents : a study in sin, error and metal fatigue ; Efficiency and aesthetics : or the world we have to live in -- Appendix 1. Handbooks and formulae -- Appendix 2. Beam theory -- Appendix 3. Torsion -- Appendix 4. The efficiency of columns and panels under compression loads
N2  - 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
ER  -