I was thinking of the ovality giving it more resistance to the horizontal loading. It was ovalised with the long axis in line with any horizontal forces?

 

depends which way its rotate, problem is it will have a weak axis, rather than be equaly table in all directions. tbh they are more of a feature than for design reasons

 

It's true. What is it with modern building where we seem to build 'em as consumables?

I look at Georgian and Victorian houses around my way, and they seem much better built than some of the new builds which appear to be made of cardboard.

Case in point is Castlefield basin in Manchester. You have 3 really old viaducts (1800's) which are made of either wrought iron or steel....still going strong...they even routed the tram over one.

 

Likewise with the bridges that were built in 'British India'. Many of them probably get zero maintenance and are still more that up to the job after all this time. You could say the same for the buildings too.

One reason could be that, back then, they had to build them using the materials and techniques they did, as there was no cheap alternative that would do the job well enough?

 

Well wood was cheaper? Stone cheaper than iron?

Anyway I visited Leptic Magna in Libya recently and the quality of the Roman buildings is breathtaking. Everything is made from stone! You have huge pillars a meter wide and 6,7,8 meters tall carved from granite etc. Two millennia on and still magnificent. The place would still probably be standing if it were not for earthquakes and floods.

I wonder if it is to do with a societies confidence. I mean if you think 200, 300, 400 years time you will still need these buildings you make 'em to last right? You also want to make a statement into the future...build edifices. Architecture is all that remains ultimately.

 

Yes but design in those days comprised building something higher and higher till it collapsed killing tens of slaves, then start again, strengthening the bits that failed until it collapses again. Repeat until your structure is big enough. That approach to Health and Safety is just not acceptable these days (in the UK anyway ).

Those columns that pushed over at the base could not have been replaced so quickly surely? Is the public using another entrance, or is their lots of temporary support in place? Would be interested to know what remedials were implemented before the store re-opened.

PS an engineer will do for a pound what any idiot can do for a fiver. (Or something like that.)

 

AFAIK, the posts and the remaining roof were burned away, and removed, it's now got no canopy.

 

That would work