Engineering > Architecture > Analysis of Historic Structures

Analysis of Historic Structures posted by duggu on 11/30/2007

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Courseware/Lectures

Test/Tutorials

Course Highlights

This course features a complete set of lecture notes dealing with historic structures, and the assignments from the class.

Course Description

An analysis of historical structures is presented themed sections based around construction materials. Structures from all periods of history are analyzed. The goal of the class is to provide an understanding of the preservation of historic structures for all students.

*Some translations represent previous versions of courses.

Syllabus

Overview

This seminar introduces methods for the structural analysis of historical monuments, including masonry, timber, iron, steel, and concrete structures. Short lectures will be followed by discussion sessions, together with weekly readings and a series of smaller assignments. Each student will write a final paper on a topic of their choosing. Final papers may be predominantly historical, with structural analysis to support the main arguments, or predominantly structural, with historical analysis to provide context. Paper topics may focus on any time period or any geographical location provided that there is a demonstrable need for structural analysis. Example paper subject areas include masonry structures such as French Romanesque churches, Mesoamerican vaulting systems, English Gothic cathedrals, Mamluk domes, or Guastavino vaulting, as well as historic timber roof systems, metal truss bridges, reinforced concrete structures, etc. The goal of the course is to provide architects, engineers, and historians with tools for understanding and preserving historic structures.

Students will be evaluated based on attendance, weekly assignments, research presentations, and the completion of a final paper. Readings to be assigned.

Calendar

Calendar Table
LEC #	TOPICS	KEY DATES
1	Introduction	Assignment 1 out
2	Masonry Structures I
3	Masonry Structures II	Assignment 1 due
4	Timber Structures I	Assignment 2 out
5	Timber Structures II
6	Metal Structures I	Assignment 2 due
7	Metal Structures II	Proposal due for final project
8	Concrete Structures
9	Projects/Discussion
10	Projects/Discussion (cont.)
11	Final Presentations
12	Final Presentations (cont.)	Final papers due

Discussion Group

Educators, students, and self-learners interested in "Course 4.448: Analysis of Historic Structures" are invited to interact with others utilizing these materials in their teaching and learning through the Discussion Group for this course.

This service, offered by MIT OCW and hosted by the Open Sustainable Learning Opportunities Research Group in the Department of Instructional Technology at Utah State University, offers individuals around the world the opportunity to connect with each other, collaborate, form study groups, and receive support for their use of MIT OCW materials in formal and informal educational settings.

OLS is a research project that is focused on building "social software" that enables informal learning communities to form around existing open educational content. The fundamental premise of OLS is that full educational opportunity requires a user to have the social access to other people who can answer questions and provide support. Since the sponsors of free and open Web-based materials cannot typically provide this access, the social support must come from other users. Therefore, OLS:

Operates independently of MIT OCW
Requires users to register and login to participate
Is not a degree-granting or certificate-granting program
Does not provide formal access to MIT or Utah State University faculty

Connect to the Discussion Group for Course 4.448: Analysis of Historic Structures now.

Open Learning Support is funded by a grant from The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation.

Readings

Required Readings
Heyman, J. The Stone Skeleton. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1995. ISBN: 0521629632.

Zalewski, W., and E. Allen. Shaping Structures: Statics. New York: Wiley, 1998. ISBN: 0471169684.

Additional Texts

Acland, J. The Gothic Vault. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1972. ISBN: 0802018866.

Feilden, B. Conservation of Historic Buildings. Boston: Butterworth, 1994. ISBN: 0750658630.

Fitchen, J. Building Construction Before Mechanization. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 1986. ISBN 026256047X.

———. The Construction of Gothic Cathedrals. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1961. ISBN: 0226252035.

Freidman, D. Historical Building Construction. New York: Norton, 1995. ISBN: 0393702006.

Levy, M., and M. Salvadori. Why Buildings Fall Down. New York: Norton, 1992. ISBN: 039331152X.

Mark, R. Light, Wind, and Structure. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 1990. ISBN 026263158X.

———. Architectural Technology up to the Scientific Revolution. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 1993. ISBN 0262631571.

Mainstone, R. Developments in Structural Form. 2nd ed. Boston: Architectural Press, 2001. ISBN: 0750654511.

Rabun, J. S. Structural Analysis of Historic Buildings. New York: Wiley, 2000. ISBN: 0471315451.