Course Overview
Please note that this course is now in archive mode, but you can still access the course content and complete the assignments.
Course Material
Each week consists of an overview, a lecture sequence, structural studies, and a creative assignment.
Overview: Here you will find an introduction to the week, as well as a list of what you are expected to do. We have also included a list of the key concepts for the week.
Lecture sequence: The videos will focus mostly on the "social" (evaluation of societal context and cost) and "symbolic" aspects (form and appearance) of structural art. These lectures introduce you to the historical development of structural
Structural studies: The structural studies focus on the "scientific" aspects of the course (calculations of forces and stresses). They will help you understand how to determine
Creative Challenge: These assignments will give you an opportunity to explore structural art by analyzing bridge design, and evaluating well-known (and perhaps some unknown) structures. You will upload your response to these assignments to the discussion forum.
Prerequisites
There are no prerequisites for this course. The structural studies are based on basic algebra and all we have made an effort to explain the math as clearly as possible. If you have any questions, please use the discussion forum!
Course Completion and Grading
This course has 3 types of assignments: Knowledge checks (35% of overall grade), calculation assignments (35% of overall grade), and creative challenges (30% of overall grade). To pass the course you have to have a score of 70% or higher.
You are required to do 6 of 8 knowledge checks, 6 of 8 calculation assignments and 6 of 8 creative challenges. Please check your progress page to keep track of your coursework.
Time Commitment
For most weeks it will take you about 2-4 hours to watch the lectures and complete the assignments.
Weekly Schedule
Getting Started: Introduction
S1: Introduction
S2: Engineering vs Architecture
S3: Course Themes
Week 1: British Metal Forms
S1: Introduction
S2: The Social Context and Thomas Telford
S3: Critiquing Bridges Through the Measures of Structural Art
S4: Thomas Telford’s Bridges
S5: The Railroad Age: Brunel and Stephenson
S6: The Firth of Forth Bridge and the Horizontal Cantilever
Week 2: John Roebling and the Brooklyn Bridge
S1: Introduction
S2: Niagara River Bridge, Cincinnati Bridge, and the Origins of the Brooklyn Bridge
S3: Brooklyn Bridge: Construction and Politics
S4: Brooklyn Bridge: Elevated Walkway
S5: Brooklyn Bridge: Stimulus to Artists
Week 3: Othmar Ammann
S1: Introduction
S2: Lindenthal and the Hellgate Bridge
S3: Comparison of Hellgate to the Bayonne Bridge
S4: George Washington Bridge: Early Proposals
S5: George Washington Bridge: Social and Scientific
S6: Dynamic Effects of Wind on Long Span Bridges
S7: Verrazano Narrows Bridge
Week 4: The Golden Gate Bridge
S1: Introduction
S2: The Designers of the Golden Gate Bridge
S3: Bridge Construction
S4: Maintenance, Wind, and Towers
S5: The Symbolic Aspects of the Golden Gate Bridge
Week 5: Robert Maillart and Concrete Bridges
S1: Introduction
S2: Evolution of the 3-Hinged Hollow Box Arch
S3: Deck Stiffened Concrete Arch Bridges
S4: The "Broken" Arch
Week 6: Origins of Prestressing
S1: Introduction
S2: Freyssinet, Creep, and Prestressing
S3: Gustav Magnel
S4: Ulrich Finsterwalder
Week 7: New Bridge Forms
S1: Introduction
S2: Prestressing—Innovation and Inspiration
S3: Christian Menn's Aesthetic Goals and the Sunniberg Bridge
S4: Christian Menn's Design Goals
S5: Significance of Maillart's Work
Week 8: The Politics and Art of Spanish Bridges
S1: Introduction
S2: 1992 Expo and Bilbao Effect
S3: The Characteristics of a Hero
S4: The Bridge Heros