One of my colleagues just emailed me a question that I am having trouble
answering. I hope I can garner some help here...
She is a classics professor, and wants to better understand the
mechanics/physics of a classical arch built out of stone. How do they
stay together, some of them without mortar? What is the significance of
the keystone, and how do the forces interact to make it important.
Now I know this must've been studied, but I can't find a reference in
any of my mechanics textbooks. Does anyone have a reference I can use
to explain this and/or point her toward?