Another passive process is osmosis. This is the process by which water crosses a cell membrane either into or out of the cell, but always into the solution that has the higher total concentration of solutes. Dr Aziz.
The flying buttress is the defining external characteristic of gothic architecture. These buttresses act to spread the weight of the tall walls. They support the structure by transferring force directly to the ground. The flying buttress was not just practical, though.
The defining, functional characteristic of a flying buttress is that it is not in contact with the wall it supports, like a traditional buttress, and so transmits the lateral forces across the span of intervening space between the wall and the pier.