Animation of how bridges were built in Central Europe in the Middle Ages [video] • Hacker News Board

Re: Animation of how bridges were built in Central Europe in the Middle Ages [video]

#21

Post by SideburnsOfDoom » Fri, Oct 16, 2020, 9:27 AM UTC

prennert wrote: post #14

It looks similar to the description of the bridge being built in "World without End" by Ken Follett. One bit that is missing from this animation is that there is no rubble placed in the water around the piers. In the book this had the all important function of preventing the foundations from being washed out by the river. Maybe that was fiction or it was too much detail for the animators since the water is not transp…

I expected there to be some kind of "foundations"?

i.e. once the water is out of the enclosure, you have a surface that is likely to be soft wet mud or sand. Surely you want to scoop some out, dig down and lay some big blocks of stone under the river bed level?

Or maybe that happens, but was just not shown. Or maybe, once you start building up, the sheer weight pushes the whole column down until it settles.

Re: Animation of how bridges were built in Central Europe in the Middle Ages [video]

#22

Post by nosianu » Fri, Oct 16, 2020, 9:33 AM UTC

galgalesh wrote: post #19

yread wrote: post #4

Note that the construction took 45 years.

Isn't this longer than the average life expectancy of that time? I wonder what kind of incentives they had for such long-term projects.

The average was skewed by child and women (during/after birth) mortality.

In lecture [0] the professor mentions as an aside:

> And what is interesting, if you take out the childhood mortality, the Victorian person between 1850 and 1880 lived slightly longer, if he was a male, than you do today

That's well after the middle ages, but still also well before modern medicine and technology, such as good sanitation and water systems.

[0] https://www.gresham.ac.uk/lectures-and-events/return-of-the-... (has the full text to search for the context of the quote)

Re: Animation of how bridges were built in Central Europe in the Middle Ages [video]

#23

Post by sradman » Fri, Oct 16, 2020, 9:33 AM UTC

DavidHm wrote: post #12

DoofusOfDeath wrote: post #10

I used to be tempted to think that our modern generations are extra smart because of the cool gadgets we have. Seeing stuff like this, and reading ancient political / philosophical writings, gives me a much-needed reality check.

It's a pretty typical mistake. We are just as smart as our predecessors. We just have a much higher population, a higher % of them are well educated, and we have an enormous body of historical knowledge (as well as easy ways for anyone to access it). "On the shoulder of giants" etc.

> We just have a much higher population, a higher % of them are well educated, and we have an enormous body of historical knowledge

Specialization and trade accelerated with the Industrial Revolution as well; Adam Smith’s division of labour combined with man’s propensity to truck, barter, and exchange.

Re: Animation of how bridges were built in Central Europe in the Middle Ages [video]

#24

Post by Swenrekcah » Fri, Oct 16, 2020, 9:34 AM UTC

galgalesh wrote: post #19

yread wrote: post #4

Note that the construction took 45 years.

Isn't this longer than the average life expectancy of that time? I wonder what kind of incentives they had for such long-term projects.

I'd guess the kings, clergy and nobles liked their legacy and the people generally, then as today, like to work on something that improves society.

And also, the average life expectancy at birth is a lot lower than the age an adult can expect to live to. People got old in the middle ages, it was just not as common, but probably more common for the aristocracy.

Re: Animation of how bridges were built in Central Europe in the Middle Ages [video]

#25

Post by jb1991 » Fri, Oct 16, 2020, 9:36 AM UTC

galgalesh wrote: post #19

yread wrote: post #4

Note that the construction took 45 years.

Isn't this longer than the average life expectancy of that time? I wonder what kind of incentives they had for such long-term projects.

“Average” lifespan is a misleading metric prior to the early to mid-20th-century because it’s heavily influenced by those who died before age 5.

Re: Animation of how bridges were built in Central Europe in the Middle Ages [video]

#26

Post by smcl » Fri, Oct 16, 2020, 9:37 AM UTC

Great animation but they seem to have omitted a very key part of the construction process, without which the bridge would possibly not have been completed: https://isc.cvut.cz/czechculturecourse/?p=2274

Re: Animation of how bridges were built in Central Europe in the Middle Ages [video]

#27

Post by khazhoux » Fri, Oct 16, 2020, 9:38 AM UTC

Great video, but could have used a scale reference. The pile driver at 00:21 looks to me to be about 30-40', but the wikipedia page for pile drivers suggests it's probably https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pile_driver

It's also unclear how the piledriver gets re-positioned for each pile. It does not look readily movable.

Re: Animation of how bridges were built in Central Europe in the Middle Ages [video]

#28

Post by raducu » Fri, Oct 16, 2020, 9:40 AM UTC

DavidHm wrote: post #12

DoofusOfDeath wrote: post #10

I used to be tempted to think that our modern generations are extra smart because of the cool gadgets we have. Seeing stuff like this, and reading ancient political / philosophical writings, gives me a much-needed reality check.

It's a pretty typical mistake. We are just as smart as our predecessors. We just have a much higher population, a higher % of them are well educated, and we have an enormous body of historical knowledge (as well as easy ways for anyone to access it). "On the shoulder of giants" etc.

Our brains decreased by a golf ball size in the past couple thousand years.

It is much easier for stupid people to survive today.

Re: Animation of how bridges were built in Central Europe in the Middle Ages [video]

#29

Post by amelius » Fri, Oct 16, 2020, 9:41 AM UTC

DavidHm wrote: post #12

DoofusOfDeath wrote: post #10

I used to be tempted to think that our modern generations are extra smart because of the cool gadgets we have. Seeing stuff like this, and reading ancient political / philosophical writings, gives me a much-needed reality check.

It's a pretty typical mistake. We are just as smart as our predecessors. We just have a much higher population, a higher % of them are well educated, and we have an enormous body of historical knowledge (as well as easy ways for anyone to access it). "On the shoulder of giants" etc.

We work harder than our predecessors (8+ hours workday, 5 days a week, both men and women), so I'd say we aren't really as smart as them.

Re: Animation of how bridges were built in Central Europe in the Middle Ages [video]

#30

Post by raducu » Fri, Oct 16, 2020, 9:43 AM UTC

_Microft wrote: post #13

DoofusOfDeath wrote: post #10

I used to be tempted to think that our modern generations are extra smart because of the cool gadgets we have. Seeing stuff like this, and reading ancient political / philosophical writings, gives me a much-needed reality check.

I rather wonder what our descendants will marvel at that we are doing. Will they think that it was ingenious to design machines in different parts, from different materials, then assembled and shipped to where they are needed? With the limited technology and methods of our time? That we used to engineer and create special machines for these different purposes because in their world, everything you can conceive will c…

Having good lyrics in music?

Poetry that actually sounds good?

Paintings that make sense and take skill instead of bullshit art?

Repairing relationships and mending things?

Cooking for themselves?