How the Leaning Tower of Pisa Was Saved: Crash Course Engineering #40

This week we’re going underground to explore geotechnical and seismic engineering. We’ll look at how structures connect to the ground and transmit loads through their foundations, and how those foundations need to provide a high bearing capacity. We’ll see how properties of the soil, like shear strength, affect bearing capacity. We’ll also consider what happens when the ground experiences stress from seismic activity and how seismic engineers work to counteract those effects.

Crash Course Engineering is produced in association with PBS Digital Studios.

RESOURCES:

• https://www.thebalancesmb.com/leaning-tower-pisa-construction-844359
• http://environment.uwe.ac.uk/geocal/foundations/founbear.htm
• http://www.geotechnicalinfo.com/bearing_capacity_technical_guidance.html
• http://civil.utm.my/azril/files/2016/05/2014-August-Chapter-4-Soil-Shear-strength-Revised.pdf
• http://www4.hcmut.edu.vn/~cnan/Principles%20of%20geotechnical%20engineering%20(Fifth%20Edition,%20Das)/311-363.PDF
• https://icce-ojs-tamu.tdl.org/icce/index.php/icce/article/viewFile/2059/1731
• https://www.soil-net.com/legacy/schools/what_is_soil1.htm
• https://www.ramjack.com/houston/about-ram-jack/blog/2015/september/the-foundation-of-the-leaning-tower-of-pisa/
• https://leaningtowerpisa.com/facts/how/how-pisa-leaning-tower-was-stabilized