The Historical Evolution Of Rock-like Materials’ Strength Theory

Architecture is the carrier of history, and the stone is the language of the building. Throughout history, we can see that the human history is a history of development of social productivity. In some sense, the history of development of social productivity is also a history of continuous development of engineering construction. I n the early days, engineering construction is built to provide shelter for human being. Next, engineering construction is becoming the means and manifestation mode for human remarking nature gradually. For engineering construction, rock-like material is the most widely used and most important engineering material. It has played a fundamental role in engineering construction from magnificent pyramids in Egypt, Solemn and sacred fanes and colosseum in ancient Greece and Roman to the Great Wall and Forbidden City, especially in skyscraper, giant bridges and dams after the industrial revolution.As material, rock-like materials have a wide range of performances. Of them, strength is undoubtedly most important. This thesis takes rock-like materials as its research object and studies its historical development of strength theory. Facing these endless historical materials, it is very important to take one certain perspective to analyse this problem. This thesis focuses on these points that how the strength theoretical paradigm was built and how the strength theories developed. In the first chart, we can see that because of the need of production practice, the problem about the strength of rock-like materials arised ages ago. During pre-scientific era, artisans who depended on experience played the leading role on the stage. In the Renaissance period, scholars like Galileo began to adopt experiment and mathematic to do research systematically. Their efforts led the research to the right way. Due to the limitations of the times, they could not make a breakthrough. But both their success and their failure lighted the way for the future research. The second charter discusses how the strength theoretical paradigm about rock-like materials formed gradually. Under the light of classic mechanics, the basic assumption(continuous medium hypothesis), the basic concepts(stress, strain), analytical method(analytical mechanics) and the mathematical tool developed one by one. Then rock-like materials’ strength theory formed naturally. The theories in classic strength theory competed with each other and alternated. This history is really worth investigating. The third charter is about the further development of rock-like materials’ strength theory. Considering of the deficiencies of the theories in classic strength theory, scholars sought to a better strength theory. The unified strength theory emerged as the times required. Its appearance brought the theoretical melee to an end and brought the research to a new level. The fourth charter focuses on the latest development about rock-like materials’ strength theory and discusses whether those developments will lead to paradigm shift. The fifth charter summarizes the history of thematic study. Although this theme is not big, we can see the complex relationship between technology, science and society by investigating its history. The development of technology has its unique logic. Practice need is its primary motivity. The development of technology may not walk in step with science, but its development can not do without the promotion brought by science.