From: J & D Goldman (jmgoldma_at_dwx.com)
Date: 12/31/02
Message-ID: <002301c2b134$3c132aa0$39dececf@gateway> From: "J & D Goldman" <jmgoldma_at_dwx.com> Subject: Structures Book Date: Tue, 31 Dec 2002 19:22:18 -0600
I just completed a reading of Understanding Structures by Fuller Moore
(McGraw Hill, 1999). It has small chapters on geodesic domes, space
frames and several other areas that might be of direct interest to
some of you on the list.
I was surprised to learn that not all of the struts in a dome are in
compression, some are actually in tension. Makes sense when you look
at the diagrams, but I guess I believed the popular mistique that all
parts of a shell type structure were in compression. Not so, although
I'll bet some of you knew that already...
Anyhow, this is a good book for the nonengineer that with no formal
training in statics and dynamics. There are useful explanations of
trusses, beams and other structural elements. Just gives one a better
idea of what hold things up, and why some structures fail. Even those
of you who are good intuitive designers might find this helpful.
This is the kind of thing I'll be sure to have on the reference list
in Domes for the Third Millenium. Maybe with the holiday travels
slowing down I'll be able to get a wiki started for Simplicity Domes.
I kept thinking I'd get snowed in for a while, but we are having the
longest period of no-precipitation on record here in the central
midwest. The ground is dry hard and somewhat frozen in some places,
but no snow, no rain. Very odd. However, the climatologists tell us
this is more normal, and we are just now leaving a 45 year period of
better-than-average global weather.
Cheers Dan G.
Quote from the reverend White: "Money is like manure. When you pile
it up in one place, things begin to stink. When you spread it around,
things begin to grow."
Amen rev'.