Why doesn't some stonework at the Seven Arches fall out?

Leodian · Post by **Leodian** » Fri 27 Jul, 2012 8:49 pm

When I saw the view (as in the photo) when I was looking at part of the the Seven Arches disused aquaduct on July 26 2012 I could not help wonder how on earth some of the stonework hasn't fallen out. It looks like it should!

Leodian · Post by **Leodian** » Fri 27 Jul, 2012 8:54 pm

This view shows why they have not fallen. Many of the stones used go the full width so they will be much better permanantly held in place than the first view shows. The first view is deceptive and fooled me!

Jogon · Post by **Jogon** » Fri 27 Jul, 2012 10:03 pm

Beautiful stonework.I have to say that I still marvel at the pure brilliance of engineering at that time.That is not to 'diss' current engineers. Admitting that I am not good at diy etc, I still think it impossible that they 1. Built Eccup Reservoir (probably easy enough)2. Built Blackmoor Tunnel ( how dyou know where you're going, what if the gradient is wrong etc)3. Built 7 arches ( easy 4 Built the conduit out of Scotland Woods, round the gradient of the land past Dunstarn Farm, through the (now) Cricket Club5. Built Weetwood Aqueduct. Anyone have an image of this?6. Built the conduit through the Hollies to Weetwood Resv'r. Now a pleasant path from Ring Rd to Hollies main entrnce W'wood Ln.

drapesy · Post by **drapesy** » Fri 27 Jul, 2012 10:08 pm

Leodian wrote: This view shows why they have not fallen. Many of the stones used go the full width so they will be much better permanantly held in place than the first view shows. The first view is deceptive and fooled me! Its physics, not the size of the stones, that keeps them in place!! This link explains the forces that keep the stones in place - those Romans knew a thing or too.http://science.discovery.com/videos/wha ... vault.html

Phill_dvsn · Post by **Phill_dvsn** » Fri 27 Jul, 2012 10:15 pm

I did all this kind of thing when I served my carpentry apprenticeship many moons ago. The art of building stone arches goes way back in time. You'd be surprised how shallow an arch radius can be and still be incredibly strong. If you look above the arch you always have straight courses of stonework, they spread the whole weight above on to every arch instead of it pushing directly down on to one arch. You only need a few course of stone above a series of arches and it is incredibly strong, the weight is spread evenly and pushed sidewards instead of downwards. Very little weight actually pushes down on to a tunnel roof, it's all forced into the sides. It's clever stuff.I recall at the railway museum in York in the kids interactive play area, there were some soft arches you placed on top of a wooden former, you pulled the wooden former out and could stand on the arch you'd just built. It's all about physics in building, I always remember our lecturer telling us about dimensions and using them properly. A size of 4x2 timber can be as weak or strong as you make it. He got a ruler to demonstrate this and bent it down really easy, It would have snapped, then he turned it the other way around and tried to bend it, it was solid as a rock and you couldn't flex it at all. It's the same thing with a five pound note, there is no strength in it, but if you fold a lot of little creases in it and make it corrugated, you can stand a pint pot on it. Here's one I made earlier, only I didn't have a pint pot, so I utilised a cat cup instead (I know we have a few cat lovers on here)And I didn't have a fiver so used a £20 But it does show that the same thickness material can either be very weak, or extremely strong depending on what physics you apply to it.

Jogon · Post by **Jogon** » Fri 27 Jul, 2012 10:27 pm

Nice cat mug, much apprec'dThen there's the 1800's brickies asked to build Leeds Railway Stn, Dark Arches and eastbound over the working High Dam and various mill races/goits of the King's Mills/IofCynder.Brick arches over stone arch bridges over medieval goits.Mind boggled

Leodian · Post by **Leodian** » Fri 27 Jul, 2012 10:32 pm

Thanks all.

Phill_dvsn · Post by **Phill_dvsn** » Fri 27 Jul, 2012 10:38 pm

Now this is what you call arch building, built on the skew with a curved internal radius.Fantastic craftsmanship.

Leodian · Post by **Leodian** » Fri 27 Jul, 2012 10:47 pm

That sure is a superbly built arch Phill.

jdbythesea · Post by **jdbythesea** » Fri 27 Jul, 2012 11:09 pm

Phill_dvsn wrote: Now this is what you call arch building, built on the skew with a curved internal radius.Fantastic craftsmanship. Excellent shot. Where did you take this one, Phill?Computer-aided and laser measuring and cutting gear and all the paraphernalia that designers and engineers have at their disposal nowadays would be hard pressed to beat it I reckon. JD