Interesting History of Structural Engineering 2 - Scientific Revolution

Apr 19, 2024
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You can find information about the history of Structural Engineering Before Christ here: Interesting History of Structural Engineering - BC

 

Intro

 

The 16th and 17th centuries saw a dramatic shift in scientific ideas known as the Scientific Revolution. Before the Scientific Revolution, no one doubted the claim that the center of the universe was the Earth. Nicolaus Copernicus challenged that system, and from him, the Scientific Revolution began.

 

During the Scientific Revolution era, we will encounter truly famous figures like Galileo Galilei. You might think there is no connection between structural engineering and these individuals, but their research and writings have greatly influenced structural engineering. The theories they left behind are still used in structural engineering today.

 

 

History of Structural Engineering Timeline 

 

History of Structural Engineering Timeline - Pre-Scienctific RevolutionHistory of Structural Engineering Timeline

 

 

2. Scientific Revolution

 

1638 BC Material Strength Motion of objects | Galileo Galilei

 

Galileo Galilei

Galileo Galilei (1564 – 1642) was depicted on the 2000 lire banknote

 

Galileo Galilei was an Italian philosopher, scientist, physicist, and astronomer. This genius also influenced structural engineering. He described the disciplines of material strength and object motion in his publication Dialogues Relating to Two New Sciences. This work marked the beginning of the structural analysis. Surprisingly, as seen in the picture below, he made the first effort at quantifying the load response of a simple cantilever beam.

 

Galileos cantilever beam in his publication Dialogues Relating to Two New SciencesGalileo's cantilever beam in his publication Dialogues Relating to Two New Sciences

 

 

1676 Hooke’s Law | Robert Hooke

 

Robert Hooke (1635 – 1703)

Robert Hooke (1635 – 1703)

 

Some engineers say they 'can live from by Hooke's Law.' Among structural engineers, there is no one who does not know Hooke's Law. In many elastic materials, there is a proportional relationship between the restoring force and the amount of deformation when the deformation is small. Expressed in equation form, it is as follows: Fs=kx, where Fs is the restoring spring force. This formular is named after British physicist Robert Hooke. He provided a scientific explanation of elasticity of materials and their behavior under load.

 

Hooke’s lawHooke’s law, law of elasticity discovered by the English scientist Robert Hooke in 1660

 

 

1687 Law of Motion | Isaac Newton

 

Isaac Newton (1642 – 1727)

Isaac Newton (1642 – 1727)

 

Every structural engineer knows Hooke. Everyone knows Isaac Newton because he discovered the law of universal gravitation after seeing an apple fall. With the publication of Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica, Sir Isaac Newton gave us a grasp of the underlying laws governing built structures. One of the most significant mathematical tools in engineering is the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus, independently developed by Newton and Gottfried Leibniz.

 

Isaac Newton’s revolutionary work Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia MathematicaIsaac Newton’s revolutionary work: Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica

 

 

1750 Beam equation, Theory of Virtual Work | Leonhard Euler and David Bernoulli

 

Leonhard Euler (1707 – 1783) and Daniel Bernoulli (1700 - 1782)

Leonhard Euler (1707 – 1783) and  Daniel Bernoulli (1700 – 1782)

 

The Euler-Bernoulli Beam Equation, which was created by Leonhard Euler and David Bernoulli, is the basic theory that guides the majority of structural engineering designs. Additionally, Daniel and Jean Bernoulli created the Theory of Virtual Work, a method for resolving structural issues that makes use of geometric compatibility and force balance. If you were a college student dreaming of becoming a structural engineer, around your first or second year, you would find yourself calculating this formula by hand.

 

Euler–Bernoulli beam theoryEuler–Bernoulli beam theory provides a means of calculating the load and deflection of beams

 

The post on the history of structural engineering in the 19th and 20th Centuries will be uploaded soon.

 

 

References

1638 BC Material Strength Motion of objects | Galileo Galilei

Wikipedia - Italian lira

ResearchGate - Galileo's cantilever beam [Kurrer, 2008]

1676 Hooke’s Law | Robert Hooke

Britannica - Hooke’s law

1750 Beam equation, Theory of Virtual Work | Leonhard Euler and David Bernoulli

Wikipedia - Portrait of Daniel Bernoulli [Bammesk - Basel Historical Museum, 2022]

 

 

Topics

#StructuralEngineering

#CivilEngineering

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#Getmotivated

 

 

About the MOTIVATOR
Jegeon Ryu
Project Manager & Content Creator MOTIVE

Hello, I am Jegeon Ryu, a Project Manager responsible for developing MOTIVE for engineers dedicated to creating a safer and better world. During my two years of military service, I learned that creating a safer world is achievable through the sharing of technology and motivating each other. My goal is to contribute to the happiness of the world by creating a global platform that facilitates mutual knowledge sharing and growth.

 

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