Alberti, Leone Battista
,
Architecture
,
1755
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this being ſo, this Part ought of the whole
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Structure to be beſt fortified againſt the
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Violence of the Waters; and nothing will
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conduce more to this, than to make the Pile
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work deep and broad every Way, and eſpeci
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ally at the Stern, that if any Accidents ſhould
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carry away any of the Piles, there may be enow
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leſt to ſuſtain the Weight of the Pier. </
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<
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>It will
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be alſo extremely proper to begin your Foun
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dation at the upper Part of the Channel, and
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to make it with an eaſy Deſcent, that the
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Water which runs over it may not fall upon
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it violently as into a Precipice, but glide over
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gently, with an eaſy Slope; becauſe the Water
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that ruſhes down precipitately, routs up the
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Bottom, and ſo being made ſtill rougher carries
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away every Thing that it can looſen, and is
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every Moment undermining the Work.</
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>BUILD the Piers of the biggeſt and longeſt
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Stones, and of ſuch as in their Nature are beſt
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adapted for ſupporting of Froſts, and as do
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not decay in Water, nor are eaſily ſoftened by
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any Accident, and will not crack and ſplit
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under a great Weight; and build them ex
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actly according to the Square, Level and Plum
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line, omitting no Sort of Ligature Length
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ways, and placing the Stones Breadth-ways in
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alternate Order, ſo as to be a Binding one to
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another; abſolutely rejecting any ſtuffing with
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ſmall Pieces of Stone. </
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<
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>You muſt alſo faſten
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your Work with a good Number of Braſs
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Cramps and Pins, ſo well fitted in, that the
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Joynts of the Structure may not ſeparate, but
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be kept tight and firm. </
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<
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>Raiſe both the Fronts
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of the Building angular, both Head and Stern,
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and let the Top of the Pier be ſure to be
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higher than the fulleſt Tide; and let the Thick
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neſs of the Pier be one fourth of the Heighth
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of the Bridge. </
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<
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>There have been ſome that
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have not terminated the Head and Stern of
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their Piers with an Angle, but with an half
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Circle; induced thereto, I ſuppoſe, by the
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Beautifulneſs of that Figure. </
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>But though I
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have ſaid elſewhere, that the Circle has the
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ſame Strength as an Angle, yet here I approve
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better of an Angle, provided it be not ſo ſharp
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as to be broken and defaced by every little Acci
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dent: Nor am I altogether diſpleaſed with thoſe
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which end in a Curve, provided it be very much
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lengthened out, and not left ſo obtuſe as to re
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ſiſt the Force and Weight of the Water. </
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<
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>The
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Angle of the Pier is of a good Sharpneſs, if it
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is three Quarters of a Right Angle, or if you
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like it better, you may make it two thirds.
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</
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<
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>And thus much may ſuffice as to the Piers. </
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<
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>If
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the Nature of your Situation is ſuch, that the
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Sides or Banks of the Shore are not as you
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could wiſh; make them good in the ſome Man
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ner as you build your Piers, and indeed make
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other Piers upon the Shore, and turn ſome
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Arches even upon the dry Ground; to the
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Intent, that if in Proceſs of Time, by the con
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tinual waſhing of the Water, and the Force of
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the Tides, any Part of the Bank ſhould be
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carried away, your Paſſage may ſtill be pre
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ſerved ſafe, by the Production of the Bridge
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into the Land. </
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<
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>The Arches ought upon all
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Accounts, and particularly becauſe of the con
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tinual violent ſhaking and Concuſſion of Carts
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and other Carriages, to be extreamly ſtout and
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ſtrong. </
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<
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>Beſides, as ſometimes you may be
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obliged to draw immenſe Weights over them,
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ſuch as a Coloſſus, an Obelisk or the like; you
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ſhould provide againſt the Inconvenience which
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happened to
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Scaurus,
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who when he was re
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moving that great Boundary Stone, alarmed all
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the publick Officers, upon Account of the
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Miſchief that might enſue. </
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<
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>For theſe Reaſons,
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a Bridge both in its Deſign, and in its whole
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Execution, ſhould be well fitted to bear the
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continual and violent Jars which it is to re
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ceive from Carriages. </
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<
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>That Bridges ought to
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be built of very large and ſtout Stones, is very
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manifeſt by the Example of an Anvil, which,
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if is large and heavy, ſtands the Blows of the
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Hammer unmoved; but if it is light, rebounds
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and trembles at every Stroke. </
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<
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>We have al
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ready ſaid, that all vaulted Work conſiſts of
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Arches and Stuffing, and that the ſtrongeſt of
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all Arches is the Semi-circle. </
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<
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>But if by the
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Diſpoſition of the Piers, the Semi-circle ſhould
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riſe ſo high as to be inconvenient, we may
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make uſe of the Scheme Arch, only taking
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Care to make the laſt Piers on the Shore the
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ſtronger and thicker. </
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<
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>But whatever Sort of
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Arch you vault your Bridge with, it muſt be
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built of the hardeſt and largeſt Stones, ſuch as
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you uſe in your Piers; and there ſhould not
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be a ſingle Stone in the Arch but what is in
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Thickneſs at leaſt one tenth Part of the Chord
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of that Arch; nor ſhould the Chord itſelf be
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longer than ſix Times the Thickneſs of the
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Pier, nor ſhorter than four Times. </
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<
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>The Stones
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alſo ſhould be ſtrongly faſtened together with
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Pins and Cramps of Braſs. </
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<
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>And the laſt Wedge,
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which is called the Key-ſtone, ſhould be cut
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according to the Lines of the other Wedges,
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but left a ſmall Matter bigger at the Top, ſo
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that it may not be got into its Place without
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ſome Strokes of a light Beetle; which will </
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