Mega-structures of the Middle Ages

How did medieval builders manage to construct some of the tallest structures in the world without access to modern engineering theories? Construction drawings were limited to details and, with only a handful exceptions, manuals for builders only appeared in the late fifteenth century. By implication, the relevant knowledge had to be transferred on a personal basis. Its underlying principles must therefore have been reasonably simple. This article shows how a modular design, combined with on-site experimentation, guided much of the construction work on large projects such as European cathedrals, Middle Eastern mosques, Indian temples, and Chinese pagoda towers

Ancient history · Architectural engineering · Art · Construct (python library · Fifteenth · Middle Ages · Modular design · Pagoda · Visual arts · Computer Science · Engineering · Historical Studies of Medieval Iberia · History · Masonry and Concrete Structural Analysis · Water management and technologies

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