Author: A Carrot
Link: /question/21533714/answer/18532250
Source: Zhihu
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In the history of world architecture, only East Asia likes to use wood for construction.
Western architecture is actually a pillar-type megalithic structure system. Egypt has a lot of stone materials, such as the Valley of the Kings in Egypt, so Egyptian architecture mostly started with stone materials, and then spread to Greece. There are a lot of marbles suitable for construction in the Greek mountains, so Greece learned relevant knowledge from Egypt and spread it to the outside world.
Mesopotamia lacked both megalithic materials and good structural timber. Date palms are definitely not necessary, but this area is open to trade and has a river network that facilitates transportation. It is relatively easy to obtain timber from the Iranian Plateau and Anatolia. So starting from Sumer, the center of civilization in this West Asia was a brick and wood structure. Mud bricks were made from the silt struck by local rivers and then paired with wood obtained through trade.
The Roman era saw the most significant improvements in building materials in history. Most importantly the Romans invented mortar. Mortar is the prototype of modern concrete. With it, the building structure is no longer limited by stone, and can create more complex and free structures and shapes while satisfying the principle of mechanical stability. Therefore, we find that starting from Rome, Western architectural structures have become more complex, varied and decorative, with more and more curved and surface structures.
The architectural structure of Western Europe evolved from the column structure system (Greek and Roman), then to the load-bearing wall structure (Byzantine, Romanesque, Gothic), and then returned to the column structure in the 18th to 19th centuries. , the development of engineering technology has led to the emergence of modern frame structures.
In Italy it is different from other countries in Western Europe. Italy has little influence from the Gothic style that originated in France. Except for a handful of Gothic styles in areas centered around Milan, there are few large and conspicuous Gothic buildings in Italy. Therefore, some people think that the column arch structure is a national style of Italy
Stone construction has the advantages of high strength, fire protection and corrosion resistance. However, stone materials are generally relatively brittle and can withstand large forward tensile and compressive loads, but their ability to withstand bending and torsional stress is low, so their ability to withstand earthquakes is quite low.
Wood is better. Moreover, Chinese architecture is a basket structure. Modern structural science has proven that the basket frame structure is the best structure. The traditional load-bearing wall structure in Western Europe has a height limit. Beyond this limit, no matter how thick and solid the load-bearing wall is or how good the materials are, it cannot be built.
Of course, wood has more disadvantages. Therefore, the development of science and technology has made it common in modern times to use reinforced concrete or pure metal structures