Page 1 of 1 [ 2 posts ] 

chessimprov
Toucan
Toucan

User avatar

Joined: 11 Jun 2010
Age: 45
Gender: Male
Posts: 295
Location: Philadelphia

21 Nov 2010, 7:35 pm

Does anyone know anything about Roman architecture and how a triangular fulcrum might apply to it? I think a colleague or two of mine mentioned that a triangle was a keystone used in either arches or aqueducts which I think I remember learning in my art history class, but I'm not sure. I cannot find anything on this peculiarity online that will help me develop my cross-curricular project more. Please help if you can. Thank you.



johnpipe108
Sea Gull
Sea Gull

User avatar

Joined: 11 Dec 2007
Age: 79
Gender: Male
Posts: 227
Location: Santa Rosa, CA, USA

22 Nov 2010, 1:06 am

The top central stone in a Roman arch is the keystone; cut like a triangle, with the point cut off, narrow end down. The arches were first built over a wooden form; the keystone was inserted to lock the arch, so to speak, and after it's in place the form can be removed.

Each structural stone in the arch was cut with a slight taper to establish the arch-curve.

HTH, John


_________________
He who sees all beings in the Self, and the Self in all beings, hates none -- Isha Upanishad

Bom Shankar Bholenath! I do not "have a syndrome", nor do I "have a disorder," I am a "Natural Born Scholar!"