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a number of elements, including concrete reinforcing
bars (8 mm diameter) or bamboo rods (20 mm diam-
eter) lashed together with mild steel wire, according
to a procedure developed by Peter Huybert, professor
at the Delft University of Technology, which will give
them the appearance of the porous structure of bone,
or the ligneous structure of wood. Principles of one
science are not always applicable to others. In the case
of the Lubumbashi project, very long columns with low
loads were preferable to short, heavily-loaded columns
because short columns would reduce both natural light-
ing and natural ventilation, and would force the bringing
of heavy elements on site, which would be very dif-
ficult. Prioritising local resources resulted in the use of
light elements that were crafted on site, even though
this meant more material (2 km of 8 mm bars), because
there is an abundant supply of local labour.
Knowledge of the infinitely small is currently moving
the sciences forward, not only in medicine, but also in
every domain. ‘We did not have to wait for Newton to
build cathedrals, but he helped us to understand and to
model that which hitherto was only the result of prag-
matism.’ Nanotechnology will have an enormous impact
on engineering, by allowing us to understand knowl-
edge that up to now has been intuitive and passed
down orally, particularly in African culture. A very practi-
cal example concerns assemblies: adhesives have ben-
efited from the huge leaps made by nanotechnology.
Figure 28: Damping joints
Figure 29: Shear energy damping mat
Figure 26: Project for a footbridge over the River Leie,
Kortrijk (01-366), based on invention no. 2
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