Doublethink

Combining the mathematical basis for designing moving and static structures could be the key to making more stable machinery, according to researchers from

in

.

It could lead to buildings and structures which can withstand high winds and earthquakes better, and at a lower cost, than current design techniques, claims research leader Gordon Pennock.

The system bridges the gap between civil engineering principles, which depend on the way forces interact with static objects (known as the science of statics) and mechanical engineering, which largely uses theorems dealing with the science of motion, or kinematics.

Pennock, a mechanical engineer, has been working with Israeli civil engineer, Offer Shai of Tel Aviv University, to derive new theorems which combine the mathematics of statics and kinematics.

‘These new theorems represent a common language and provide an understanding of what we call the duality between kinematics and statics,’ said Pennock. ‘The practical result is that engineers can use this knowledge to design better structures and better machines.