Arches

What this module covers

• Explain the cable–arch analogy and why inversion turns tension into compression
• Define a funicular (linear) arch and say why it carries no bending
• Find the reactions of a three-pinned arch using the crown hinge
• Calculate normal force, shear and bending moment at an arch section
• Explain why a real arch develops bending when the loading changes

Lessons

1. 6.1

   The cable–arch analogy

   Why an arch is an upside-down cable, and what a funicular shape means.

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2. 6.2

   The three-pinned arch

   Using the crown hinge to make an arch determinate, and finding the internal actions.

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