Thin-Shell Structures

Would you like to see a free lecture from Great Courses? Yes, I thought you might. I don't know how it relates to tarot or astrology, but after we watch it we might be able to come up with a few connections.

Aesthetic beauty and structural strength in structures such as St. Paul's Cathedral in London, the Zeiss-Planetarium in Germany, and the Sydney Opera House in Australia come from the same source: the curved shape of their thin shells. While you may think of a thin shell as the epitome of fragility, the truth is that it is astonishingly capable of supporting a tremendous amount of weight. The reason for such strength lies in understanding the engineering science behind a thin shell's very curvature. 

In thanks for being our customer, here is a free video lecture: Great Thin-Shell Structures—Strength through Curvature, delivered by Professor Stephen Ressler.

Thin shells—whether made of wood, masonry, steel, plastic, or (most commonly today) concrete—are a unique type of structural element found in some of the modern world's most exciting buildings. The basis for this key architectural element lies in the three different possible shapes of its curved surface: cylinder-like, dome-like, or saddle-like. When subjected to uniform loading, these thin-shell structures are capable of handling extreme loads; much in the same way that an egg, when compressed from all directions, will do the same despite its seemingly weak thinness. 

Dr. Ressler is Professor of Civil Engineering at the United States Military Academy at West Point, where he has taught for more than 15 years. A member of the American Society of Civil Engineers, he has been awarded the President's Medal and the Outstanding Projects and Leaders Award. Professor Ressler is also a principal instructor for the Excellence in Civil Engineering Education Teaching Workshop, which has trained more than 500 civil engineering faculty members from more than 200 colleges and universities.

Watch Great Thin-Shell Structures—Strength through Curvature between now and Friday, December 09 to witness the engineering genius that goes into some of the world's greatest structures!

Feel free to send the link to this video lecture to family or friends who might enjoy it; the lecture is free for them as well!