Geometry

in

Construction
By : Nirnay Roy
Class : IX-F
Roll No : 14

Inde
Use of geometry in the field of construction:x

Power of dome
Bicycle wheel

How suspension bridges are so long

How buildings stands
Warmth in snow house
Tallness of the pyramids

Introductio
Common Objectives of constructions
n

Build a sustainable products

Give security from natural or human induced
calamities
Cost effective
Suiting to environment
Etc
Construction begins with geometry &
Mathematical principles
The ancient Roman architect Marcus Vitruvius
quotes
Without symmetry and proportion no temple can
have a regular plan"

Power of dome

Activity: Try breaking an egg by pressing it from top & bottom

Pressure applied from both

sides

Does the egg break even after pressing hard? NO

Now break the egg and observe the shell very thin
Then from where did the egg get such strength?
The answer lies in Geometry

Reason
Let us compare the shapes of a dome & a cube.
Less number of vertices & edges, more rigid the structure as the joints break
first on application of force.
Force
The dome has none
Force acting on
the dome

acting on
the cube
The walls of
the cube
collapse inside

Spreading of
the dome

Out ward force acting

on the dome

Force exerted on a dome, the structure tries to spread itself but

constrained from bottom.
But when the same force is exerted on the cube , due to its joints ,
the cube collapses inside itself.
Example:Taj Mahal, Gol Gumbaz.

Bicycle wheel

The cycle wheel is the first inventions in the field of automobiles

Same concept is used in suspension bridges.
The cycle wheel is an example of strong construction by
relatively using weaker & cheaper material. Cycle wheels are
durable & can tolerate bumpy roads efficiently, despite of the
pressure they bear they do not break.
Possible only with efficient use of Geometry
Weight of the rider
The forces gets
evenly distributed
spokes of the
wheel
The bumps on the road

When force is applied on the bicycle wheels pressure is applied not

only on one spoke of the cycle but all the spokes of the cycle.
Which is the complete use of the materials used to made the
wheel. This is called efficiency.

suspension bridges
Suspension bridges has same concept of Bicycle
Suspension bridges is useful as they can be long and work effectively
The roadway is actually hanging from large cables. The cables run
over the top of two large towers (which are rooted deep into the earth)
and connect to anchorages at each end of the bridge.
When constructing a bridge the compression and tension forces that
the bridge is going to have to withstand must be considered.
Activity :-Watch a gymnastic hang on a pole.
Does the pole always remain straight? - No
But, why? - It is because of the compression & tension forces. The
compression force is shortening the top part of the pole & the tension
elongate the lower portion of the pole.
The parabolic shape of the bridge allows for the forces of
compression to be transferred to the towers, which upholds the weight
of the traffic. The parabolic shape can also be proved mathematically,
using formula comparisons.

How buildings stands

Commonly said building may fall down if the pillars are not strong
The real strength of the building lies in its pillars.
We learnt, that the rigidity of a structure depends on the number of
vertices &edges it has. The number of vertices &edges is inversely
proportional to the strength of the structure.
Hence the best shape suggestible is a pillar cylindrical shape. (It
is true that the pillars if our houses are not cylindrical, is due to some
other reasons)
Many historical monuments have cylindrical pillars not only to
increase the beauty but also strength.
The strength of the pillar is directly proportional to the area it
covers and cylinder covers maximum area
Therefore,

Strength of Pillar Area covered by it

No. of joints

Warmth in snow house

Snow gets accumulated on their roofs, which make them
freezing cold.
The Wight of the Snow is additional load on roof
The roofs must be designed so as regular cleaning of Snow is
not necessary.
Solution lies in Geometry
Triangle roof would never accommodate Snow
Snowfall on the house
Division of snow into two
paths & falling on two
sides

Tallness of the pyramids

The pyramid is the best shape for any very tall structure made of large
stone blocks using primitive technology and using a limited knowledge of
architecture.
If you want to know why pyramids were used, don't read a book on
pyramidology or some book about the mystical properties of the pyramid,
read a book on BASIC GEOMETRY. The real power of the pyramid comes
from mathematics and the way it distributes weight.
If you can't build a cylinder -- and these early cultures couldn't -- then a
four-sided structure is the most stable. And, if you want high walls, those
walls will have to slant inward so that each "floor" of the building is smaller
than the one beneath it. This provides maximum stability and essentially
makes the structure as solid as an artificial mountain.
When you build something following those rules, you end up with a
pyramid.
Pyramids were the tallest stone structures possible until Gothic
architecture was invented in the Middle Ages

Conclusion
Geometry is an Integral part of
Simple,
OR

Complex,
OR

Massive structures

Special thanks to
My mathematics teacher & my Parents

T h @ N !<