Understanding the World's Greatest Structures

Take a unique tour of our world's most remarkable and enduring structural masterpieces and learn why these architectural wonders stand the test of time.

• By This Professor
• 01: Learning to See and Understand Structure
• 02: The Science of Structure—Forces in Balance
• 03: Internal Forces, Stress, and Strength
• 04: From Wood to Steel—Properties of Materials
• 05: Building Up—Columns and Buckling
• 06: Building Across—Beams and Bending
• 07: Trusses—The Power of the Triangle
• 08: Cables and Arches—The Power of the Parabola
• 09: Loads and Structural Systems
• 10: Egypt and Greece—Pyramids to the Parthenon
• 11: The Glory of Rome in Arches and Vaults
• 12: The Rise and Fall of the Gothic Cathedral
• 13: Three Great Domes—Rome to the Renaissance
• 14: How Iron and Science Transformed Arch Bridges
• 15: Suspension Bridges—The Battle of the Cable
• 16: Suspension Bridges—The Challenge of Wind
• 17: Great Cantilever Bridges—Tragedy and Triumph
• 18: The Rise of Iron- and Steel-Framed Buildings
• 19: The Great Skyscraper Race
• 20: The Beauty and Versatility of Modern Concrete
• 21: Amazing Thin Shells—Strength from Curvature
• 22: Vast Roof Systems of Iron and Steel
• 23: The Incredible Lightness of Tension Structures
• 24: Strategies for Understanding Any Structure