Mario Salvadori – författare

Between a nomad's tent and the Sears Tower lies a revolution in technology, materials, and structures. Here is a clear and enthusiastic introduction to buildings methods from ancient times to the present day, including recent advances in science and technology that have had important effects on the planning and construction of buildings: improved materials (steel, concrete, plastics), progress in antiseismic designs, and the revolutionary changes in both architectural and structural design made possible by the computer.

The stories that make up Why Buildings Fall Down are in the end very human ones, tales of the interaction of people and nature, of architects, engineers, builders, materials, and natural forces all coming together in sometimes dramatic (and always instructive) ways.

In this "excellent survey of earthquakes and their effects—their mystery, terror, and science" (Christopher Arnold, president, Building Systems Development), two of the world's premier structural engineers take readers on a fascinating trip from the Earth's beginnings to recent developments in seismic technology. 100+ illustrations.

“Introduces maturing minds to the principles that guide architects and engineers as they design and construct buildings and bridges.” —School Shop

Earthquakes, volcanoes, and tsunamis don''t happen every day, so how can budding scientists study how they work? Through experiments, models, and demonstrations. This in-depth resource will teach readers how to build a seismograph to record a simulated earthquake, compare pressure waves and shear waves—the two types of ground shocks—using a Slinky, and replicate a tsunami''s destructive effect on a “coastline” built in a bathtub. Authors Matthys Levy and Mario Salvadori even discuss issues of modern architecture and civil engineering: how science can be used to protect buildings and property in earthquake-prone areas.             Earthquakes, Volcanoes, and Tsunamis answers a wide array of questions about these phenomena. Can animals “predict” earthquakes? How have various cultures explained the movement of the earth throughout history? What is the Richter scale, and what does it tell us about the strength of a quake? And most important, readers will learn how to earthquake-proof their homes, and how to protect themselves should they experience a tremor.

Este libro es para que todos lo lean, sea su relación con el arte de la arquitectura vocacional o por hobby. Su lenguaje es más literario que técnico; su contenido es amplio y sofisticado. Para el lego contiene presentaciones no-matemáticas y completamente visuales de los principios y sistemas estructurales, para el arquitecto y el estudiante tiene una amplia cobertura de los principios básicos de las estructuras arquitectónicas; con énfasis en los sistemas estructurales modernos; con un tratamiento extensivo de estructuras espaciales, membranas, cáscaras delgadas y estructuras de cable y neumáticas; y el hecho que trabaja con todos los materiales. Por medio de ejemplos siempre claros, y a veces, sumamente elementales, este texto tiende un puente entre la intuición más o menos consciente acerca de las estructuras y el conocimiento científico sobre ellas.