Rebuilding Mathematically A Study of the Rebuildi

Authors: Maria Zack

Publish Date: 2015/04/23

Volume: 17, Issue: 2, Pages: 571-586

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Abstract

In 1666 the City of London burned to the ground in what has become known as the “Great Fire of London” In 1755 just 89 years later Lisbon was destroyed by an earthquake Throughout this time period Lisbon and London were joined by extensive commercial ties and there are several interesting parallels between the rebuilding of these two great cities Both processes were led by individuals deeply committed to modernization and the use of the scientific method as a part of reconstruction At the time of the 1666 London fire calculus was being discovered in Europe and there were early attempts to create mathematical models for the properties of materials By 1755 the elasticity of beams was reasonably well understood and some of the first seismically engineered structures were built in Lisbon This paper examines some of the similarities and differences between how London and Lisbon were reconstructed and the role that mathematics and engineering played in their reconstructionAt different times Portugal and England have been great Naval powers whose mastery of the practical mathematics of boat building navigation and military construction allowed each nation to assemble wideranging empires Over many centuries there have been linkages between these two nations and in the seventeenth century a series of treaties 1642 1654 and the marriage of Catherine of Braganza of Portugal to Charles II of England in 1662 further solidified the relationship Lodge 1933 pp 212–217 The Methuen Treaty of 1704 clearly indicated the preferential nature of their affiliation In the treaty the Portuguese king agrees that “there shall be admitted at all times into Portugal woollen Cloths and other the Woollen Manufactures of England” and the English queen agrees “at all times … to admit into England Wines gathered from the Vineyards belonging to the Portugal Dominions” Francis 1960 p 121From 1650 to 1760 the trade in textiles and port fostered a significant amount of human interaction Lisbon was host to a large expatriate English community and in that same period London was home to many Portuguese diplomats and intellectuals In this same 100 year span both London and Lisbon saw catastrophic destruction followed by substantial innovative and creative rebuildingBy and by Jane a maid comes and tells me that she hears that above 300 houses have been burned down tonight by the fire we saw and that it is now burning down all Fish Street by London Bridge So I made myself ready presently and walked to the Tower and there got up upon one of the high places … and there I did see the houses at the end of the bridge all on fire and an infinite great fire on this and the other side the end of the bridge… Pepys 1999 pp 155–156The fire burned for 4 days before being extinguished By the time the fire was over 85  of the City of London the area within the walls was destroyed 50000 people were left homeless and most churches businesses and government buildings were beyond repair Bennett et al 2003 pp 28–29It was the morning of All Saints’ Day and the devout population of Lisbon were hurrying to attend divine worship in the numerous churches which on that day according to custom were brilliantly illuminated in honor to the festival when at four minutes after nine the first convulsive shocks were perceived and soon after this proud city became a heap of undistinguishable ruins Smith 1845 pp 484–485As the result of the earthquake the city began to burn After several days the fire in Lisbon was extinguished This calamity left thousands homeless and destroyed many of the churches and commercial government and royal buildings The Baxia which was Lisbon’s commercial center and contained the port near the river Taugus had been built on alluvial soils and fine sand Once the earthquake began this neighborhood of narrow streets and tall buildings collapsed in on itself Mullin 1992 p 2The kings of both England and Portugal needed to identify strong teams that were capable of rebuilding their nations’ main commercial centers However King Charles II of England and King José I of Portugal took very different approaches to creating and empowering their design teams

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