Masonry Bridges, Viaducts and Aquaducts (Studies in the History of Civil Engineering - 2)

For 2000 years, the most durable spanning structures have been built of masonry, and the surviving bridges of the Roman Empire have challenged others to emulate and surpass them. Focusing on the actions of designers and buildings, this text also encompasses the political, economic and social contexts and outcomes of their creation. Famous bridges in Britain, Italy, France, Iran and the USA are all featured. Narratives of conception, design and construction predominate, but there are also paper on construction techniques, on the analysis of documentary sources, and on the continuing search by modern engineers for satisfactory scientific description of the strength and stability of arch bridges.