eggArches

this is one of the first assignments we had to do at architecture school;
domes and arches are prevalent in a lot of the typical architecture of Beirut, as the oldest form of arch dates back to 1500BC in the middle east

this exercise is designed to demonstrate the inherent physical compressive strength of the arch/dome, by using eggshells as substitute and measuring their load-bearing capacity
the shape distributes the compressive forces evenly down the sides
arches/domes work very well to hold compressive forces, because they exert horizontal as well as vertical forces to resist the pressure of heavy load but do not hold any tensile forces
this is why they work well when built from materials such as stone, cast iron and concrete, that can strongly resist compression but are very weak when tension, shear or torsional stress is applied to them. By using the arch configuration, significant spans can be achieved. This is because all the compressive forces hold it together in a state of equilibrium. This even applies to frictionless surfaces. However, one downside is that an arch pushes outward at the base, and this needs to be restrained in some way, either with heavy sides and friction or angled cuts into bedrock or similar. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arch)
not wanting to throw away perfectly good eggs, i made a cake that i intend to pass around in class
i’m no cook, so i don’t promise it will be any good