The Impact of Society on Technology: From Bridges to Large Enclosed Spaces

Abstract

While it is true that technological developments have major impacts upon society, it is also true that society itself shapes the form of technological artifacts. In particular, there are significant social and cultural influences on the design and construction of major engineering structures like long-span bridges and large enclosed spaces, and it is unlikely that whatever is simply technologically achievable at a given time is what will be built. In most cases the technology will exist to go well beyond what is actually realized, while in some cases the state of the art of building technology can even be pushed by extratechnological goals.