funicular arch
Isaac Kremer/ September 9, 2018/ / 0 comments
An arch shaped to develop only axial compression under a given loading. This shape may be found by inverting the funicular shape for a cable carrying a similar loading pattern. As with any funicular structure, a funicular arch is subject to bending if the load pattern changes. An inverted catenary is the funicular shape for an arch carrying a vertical load uniformly distributed along the length of the arch axis. The parabola is the funicular shape for an arch carrying a vertical load uniformly distributed over its horizontal projection. (Ching, 1995)