Hölzerne Bogenbrücken und Modellstatik von Perrault bis Euler

Arched timber bridges and structural analysis by scale models.

Timber bridges based on the principle of polygonal arches are an idea which received increased attention from the 17th century onwards. However, the idea remained mostly academic. It was intimately connected to early attempts at structural analysis using scale models. The present contribution discusses the evolution of the arched timber bridge and the associated model-based considerations on the load-bearing capacity of such structures. When Euler had finally figured out precisely how model-based analysis could be employed, the high tide of model-building was already over, and analytical methods came to dominate the scene.