Science Of Structural Engineering, The : 9781860941894 : 23 Nov 1999 : Structures cannot be created without engineering theory, and design rules have existed from the earliest times for building Greek temples, Roman aqueducts and Gothic cathedrals -- and later, for steel skyscrapers and the frames for aircraft. This book is, however, not concerned with the description of historical feats, but with the way the structural engineer sets about his business. Galileo, in the seventeenth century, was the first to introduce recognizably modem science into the calculation of structures; he determined the breaking strength of beams. In the eighteenth century engineers moved away from this 'ultimate load' approach, and early in the nineteenth century a formal philosophy of design had been established -- a structure should remain elastic, with a safety factor on stress built into the analysis. This philosophy held sway for over a century, until the first tests on real structures showed that the st