Which mechanism limited the maximum height of load-bearing brick masonry arches constructed before the advent of reinforced concrete?

💡 Explanation

When arch height increases, lateral thrust increases because the force acting along the arch's curve components horizontally outward against its supports. Therefore lateral thrust causing spalling limited height, rather than settlement, expansion, or creep, which result from different material properties and environmental conditions.

• Which risk increases when constructing terraced agricultural systems in seismically active Andean regions?
• Which risk increases when a 1760s sextant's index mirror is slightly misaligned about its vertical axis?
• Which risk increased during the construction of Roman aqueducts using opus caementicium in winter conditions?
• Which mechanism primarily enabled ancient rammed earth structures to withstand seismic activity?
• Which risk increased for ships using early sextants for celestial navigation in high latitudes near sunset?
• Which structural problem increased the risk of catastrophic naval ship failures during the early ironclad era?