The graphic statics of the systems of space by Benjamin Mayor
Author(s): |
Thierry Ciblac
|
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Medium: | conference paper |
Language(s): | English |
Conference: | 6th International Congress on Construction History (6ICCH 2018), July 9-13, 2018, Brussels, Belgium |
Published in: | Building Knowledge, Constructing Histories [2 vols.] |
Page(s): | 465-473 |
Year: | 2018 |
Abstract: | From 1896, Benjamin Mayor, professor in Lausanne, developed a three-dimensional approach to static problems called « graphic statics of the systems of space ». The first objective of his research was the extension to space of graphic statics methods. The approach is based on the ruled geometry, characterized by the central place given to lines and by their duality properties. In this formalism the role of the line of action is generalized to space by the complex of action. The theoretical results have been communicated to the French Academy of Sciences, and the practical applications disseminated in two publications. This article presents the theoretical foundations and applications of this approach to the calculation of articulated spatial structures. It also questions the pedagogical approach associated with this method based on geometry not taught in the University of Mayor. Finally, it addresses the international dissemination and the posterity of this approach. |