Buildings, Drafting & Presentation, History, Design & Construction, Structural, Mechanical, Architecture, Construction, History of Technology, Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering 

From the librarian:

Jacques Heyman is a engineering professor at Cambridge University known well for his research into plasticity theory and how it applies to masonry structures. He is considered one of the foremost structural experts in European cathedrals and churches and is the author of many introductory books on structural theory.

The Stone Skeleton is lightly technical introduction into the structural masonry of churches: Heyman gives the reader a little bit of mathematical understanding of shell structures, contains discussions on both elastic and plastic solutions to equilibrium equations, in addition to descriptions of common architectural/structural features such as vaults and buttresses.

For an engineer with a historical interest in masonry structures or for the engineer embarking on masonry cathedral restoration work, this book is an excellent read.


From Amazon:

In this book, Heyman provides a thorough and intuitive understanding of masonry structures such as arch bridges, Greek temples, and Gothic cathedrals. Although the approach is firmly scientific, the author does not use complex mathematics. He introduces the basis of masonry analysis in the first two chapters, after which he considers individual structures--including piers, pinnacles, towers, vaults and domes--in more detail. This lucid and informative text will be of particular interest to structural engineers, practicing architects and others involved in the renovation and care of old stone buildings.