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catenary vault
minimises forces in
compression
hanging chain
minimises forces in tension
Catenary vault
Introduction:
Arch and Vault:
a fundamental construction system
A vault, in architecture, is a series of arch-shaped
structure, usually of masonry, used as the ceiling of a
room or other enclosed space, as the roof of a
building, or as the support for a ceiling or roof.
Until the 19th century the arch and vault were the
only alternative to the far more limited and simpler
post-and-lintel system supporting a flat or peaked
beamed roof.
Evolution:
Why Vault???
tendency to
move apart
tie beams had to
be introduced
post-lintel roof
vault roof
peaked-beam roof
-more stable,
-easy load transfer
-more spacious
Through history:
Nubian Vault Construction
-Egypt
Technique:
5. First course
6. Second course
7. Applying
some mortar
8. Third course
4. Starting the
inclined course
9. Fourth course
Greeks:
Roman contribution:
-followed Etruscans (voussoir arch
for drainages) and developed
mature and perfect vaulting system,
seen in 1st cy. A.D.
-Casting concrete barrel vaults of the Basilica Nova 312 AD
Roman Forum
in one solid mass, the Romans
created vaults of perfect rigidity,
devoid of external thrust, and
requiring no buttresses.
-Vaults and domes could
be easily erected over vast spaces,
producing impressive and complex
thermae, amphitheaters, and
basilicas.
fig. of voussoir arch and terms
Roman contribution:
Invention of concrete:
concrete is a mixture of mortar with stone
aggregate.
mortar : pozzolana a volcanic ash having
compressive strength 5-8 times more than that
of pure lime (used by Greeks) + water = sets
even in aqueous solutions
The earliest examples of its use in vaulting
occur at the Sanctuary of Fortuna at
Prneste and the Porticus milia, both of
which are dated to the early second
century BCE
Form evolution:
barrel vaults were intersected to get groin
vaults
Romanesque contribution:
The most important
structural developments and
characteristics of Romanesque
architecture was the vault. The
vault was developed to enable
the construction of stone roofs
(- wooden roofs were an
obvious fire hazard)
Barrel or Tunnel Vaults
& Groin Vaults supported
by piers were used
frequently
Features:
1. Dark, solemn spaces
2. Exterior is simple, severe
3. Modest
Height
4. Horizontal lines
5. Multiple Units
thick piers/walls
Gothic contribution:
-load was safely transferred from
pointed vault to the base through
foundation.
-Walls doesnt bear load anymore, so
large openings could be made out of
it.
Form evolution:
more ribs
Renaissance contribution:
Industrial Revolution :
Crystal palace,1851
by Joseph Paxton
Modern Architecture:
catenary vault
Catenary curve:
Load Transfer:
Horizontal thrust
segmental arch
catenary arch
Vertical thrust
Load Transfer:
line of thrust,
Case -1
Casa Mila:
Architecturally it is considered an
innovative work by having a structure of
columns and floors free of load bearing
walls. Similarly, the front which is made
of stone is also self-supporting.
Antonio Gaudi, around 20th cy,
revived the idea of suspended
structures in his search for true
catenary vault under
nature of the form. He derived
the terrace of casa mill
arch shapes from suspended
scale models so as to achieve
purity of form or from
economical point of view, max. First, a simple cable is hung and the loads that would act on it are
calculated, measuring the vertical distances (self-weight of the
efficiency of materials.
walls at the haunches) and adding the corresponding weight of
the floor. These weights are added to the cable, causing a change
on its shape. Vertical distances are measured again and the selfweight modified. The cable under these loads adopts a shape that
is very close to the exact mathematical shape.
Case -2
Gateway Arch
Eero Sarinen
-Combined aesthetic value with
mathematical and structural principles.
-Shape is weighted catenary with aspect
ratio 1:1 (630m wide X 630m height)
an absolute pure shape where the
compression line goes through the centre line
of the structure, directly to the ground. In
other words, a perfect catenary- Eero Sarinen
other loads acting
upon the arch are
:-wind load
earthquake
stainless steel
Case -3
Sheffield Winter Garden
Pringle Richards Sharratt Architects, 2003
The Winter Garden itself -70m X 22m X 21m
- is one of the largest temperate glasshouses to
have been built in Britain during the past 100
years and the largest yet built in a European
city centre.
Larch wood is used to make arches by forming
and gluing strips of timber into specific shapes
Case -4
Comparison:
Era
Egyptian
Type of vault
Material used
nubian vault
leaning against
back wall
barrel vault
stones,
concrete
(pozzolana)
transferred to the
springers, then to
the abutment and
thick walls
groin vault
concrete
Roman
rib vault
concrete
Gothic
fan vault
Modern
Load transfer
catenary vault
concrete
concrete,steel,
wood
Comparison of
case studies:
casestudy
Casa Mila
image
typology
Antonio
Gaudi
residential
bricks
monumental
Steel
Gateway
Arch
Eero Sarinen
Sheffield
Winter
Garden
Pringle Richards
Sharratt
Architects greenhouse
Walkway for
Olympic
Complex,
Athens
material
used
architect
Santiago
Calatrava
walkway
Larch timber
& glass
Steel arches
span
4m X3m
approax.
630m X 630m
35m X 20m
approax.
Summary:
Advantages of catenary vault:
Thank you