Geometric Analysis of Two Brick Ribbed Vaults from the 14th Century in Aragón (original) (raw)
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Nexus network journal/Nexus Network Journal, 2024
Extensive literature exists concerning the building and construction techniques of Late Gothic net vaults' rib systems. Nonetheless, the most influential works on this subject were authored in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries-long after these structures were constructed. During this period, the accuracy of the available survey techniques limited the knowledge about these vaults' exact geometry. Nowadays, terrestrial laser scanning allows us to gather never-before-evaluated data about them. In this article, we present a new geometry-based typology of Late Gothic net vaults' rib systemsbased on written sources and our own case studies-which challenges some premises of the literature. The typology is accompanied by a thorough explanation of our methodology for geometric analysis. We also accentuate our views on the crucial role of geometric analysis in studying building connections and genealogy.
Geometry and Actual Construction in Brick Vaults by Slices: The Case of Carranque in Spain
Nexus Network Journal
This paper deals with the study of a rectangular plan sail vault built by brick slices in the Roman villa of Carranque in Spain in the fifth century, in the context of a research project on the constructive configuration of Mediterranean vaults of this kind. The project aims to identify technical links to trace their expansion and examine the possibilities of using this technique in present-day building practice. The case at Carranque confirms the arrival of this vaulting technique to the Iberian Peninsula prior to a possible diffusion through the Arab world. The analysis of a 3d photogrammetric model of the remains allows posing that the solution used to solve the slices meeting at the diagonal is different from Byzantine ones; the large perimetral arches were lowered, almost matching the height of the small ones, and a vertical area was placed, being arranged as if it were part of the vault itself. With this design, it is not easy to notice the rectangular form of the vault.
Spanish late gothic flat ribbed vaults: keypoints of their structural behaviour
Proceedings of the 8th International Conference on Structural Analysis of Historical Constructions, 2012
The arrival of European master masons to Burgos and Toledo during the second half of the XVth century was essential to boost the vault design techniques in Spain. The fusion of this European influence with the local ideas was the frame in which Spanish late gothic architecture reached quite brilliant results. During this period, some churches used to have an elevated platform at the west end, on which the chorus stand during the religious services. This element had to be supported with a flat ribbed vault, which had specific geometrical and structural features. The first one is the unusual form of the vault; the second one is the fact that these structures had an extra load (weight of people on the platform), that was not homogeneous. This paper presents the results of an extensive analysis focused on the consequences of their specific mechanical features. The objective is not to study the static equilibrium or actual stress status, but to find the relationship between the specific structural conditions of these vaults and the answers that medieval master masons applied in their designs. The analysis will provide a contribution to the knowledge about the medieval structural design and the constructive improvements during the late gothic period.
Technological Development in Spanish Gothic Vaults Design
International Journal of Architectural Heritage, 2013
The principle of complexity as the evolution vector of the gothic style was an idea largely developed by Paul Frankl. The high complexity reached in the 15 th and 16 th centuries was possible thanks to the geometrical resources developed in the workshops of the medieval stonemasons. The search for more sophisticated designs was possible also with the higher standardization, so that the most complex ribbed vault could be built with ribs that had all the same curvature and with voussoirs that were therefore identical. Spanish Gothic architecture has been deeply studied from a historical and artistic point of view. The present paper, as a complement to these analyses, aims to point out some of the geometrical methods and technological improvements that late medieval masons were able to develop. In that way, some selected vaults have been measured, in order to study their geometry and design process. Also scale models of some vaults have been built at the Escuela de Arquitectura (Madrid) to validate these geometrical principles. More than just a research method, the scale models allow to understand the medieval construction techniques, and they are a powerful pedagogical tool with which pupils can reach a rewarding experience based on the "medieval-way" praxis. 1.-INTRODUCTION The Gothic was an architectural style which achieved to generate an aesthetic code. Since Elie Lambert's work (Lambert, 1920), Spanish Gothic style has been deeply studied from a historical and artistic point of view. The recent contribution by Javier Gómez Martinez provides a new point of view of the late Spanish Gothic architecture (Gómez, 1998). It is a well-known fact that this style represents the success of the ribbed vault which is, undoubtedly, one of the most revolutionary inventions in the history of construction. The present paper, as a complement to the historical and artistic analyses, aims to point out some of the geometrical methods and technological improvements that late medieval masons were able to develop.
Tradition and Modernity of Catalan Vaults: Historical and Structural Analysis
2012
Parole chiave: Volte Catalane, Ricerca storica, Analisi speriment ale, Modello Costituivo, Analisi numerica. Abstract The paper analyzes from different points of view a particular type of vaulted structure known as boveda tabicada (Catalan vaults) and the related construction technique. Catalan vaults are thin vaults made with alternate layers of bricks and mortar characterized by a very low thickness. The first step performed has been to investigate the historical aspect in order to frame the Catalan vaults and its construct ion technique all along the history of architecture and to understand the reasons of its g reat success. Later, a campaign of experimental tests on samples of Catalan masonry, t aken from existing structures, has been performed. This campaign completes a foregoing one allowing to characterize the structural behavior. The paper confirms the peculiar features of such vaults opening an important way in the structural aspects of the ancient structures re storation ...
VITRUVIO - International Journal of Architectural Technology and Sustainability
The efficient recovery of historic buildings is only possible through a deep knowledge of traditional construction systems. This article focuses on the study and analysis of the vaults of a group of temples located in the Spanish Levante region, the Valencian hall churches, inspired by the European architectural model known as "Hallenkirche". Erected during the second half of the 18th century, to the north of the Valencian Community, they make up a constructive group limited in space and time, likely to constitute an ideal entity for investigation. The peculiarity of this type of churches lies in its vaults, which spring from a common height. The main contribution of this research is its graphically schematized constructive classification, as well as the unveiling of their composition and the verification of the use of various counterfort systems. This study concludes with the analysis of the aforementioned vaults pathologies, derived from possible structural movements and expressed in the form of fissures, providing the classification thereof based on their location, and quantifying and assessing them. In order to achieve the stated objectives, it has been necessary to carry out technical inspections of the vaults, both from their intrados and extrados, obtaining data through its direct intake and through deduction methods.
Two Flat Ribbed Vaults in San Juan de los Reyes (Toledo, Spain)
Proceedings of the IIIrd International congress on Construction History (Cottbus, Germany), 2009
Late gothic flat ribbed vaults have special interest since they are considered as a technological work that belongs to a specific period of change in which the medieval ideas are living together with the new humanistic view of Renaissance. At that moment, a new kind of vault was built using a deep geometrical and technological knowledge, that was never seen in the Middle Ages. The main purpose of this paper is to analyze and compare two of these vaults that are built in San Juan de los Reyes monastery, in Toledo (Spain), in order to extract the geometrical ideas and the technological knowledge that made them possible.
Timber and building construction : the proceedings of the ninth annual conference of the Construction History Society, 2022
This paper investigates the case study of Kilian Ignaz Dientzenhofer’s church of St. Hedwig in the Polish region of Silesia. The building, a popular pilgrimage church, is known in the history of art and architecture as a Late Baroque jewel with a curious design and famous frescoes. While the shape of the building and its vault has led to different interpretations in the past, its geometry has not yet been analysed on a reliable basis. Moreover, the construction of the brick vault has not yet been subject to scientific research. In order to investigate these aspects, a 3D laser scan of the vault’s extrados and intrados was utilised as the primary source. The 3D model generated from the scan not only enabled the detailed description of structural ribs, brick patterns and construction details on the extrados, but also made a geometrical analysis using reverse geometric engineering possible. The results show a geometric design of the vault surfaces as well as double-curved arches based on simple plane circle segments. This clear geometric definition of the vault is associated with a remarkable simplicity of construction method and centering. In the context of other vault designs by members of the Dientzenhofer professional circle of master builders and architects, the vault of St. Hedwig can be seen as both a continuation and an improvement in terms of geometric design and construction details.
Shape and Construction of Brick Vaults. Criteria, Methods and Tools for a Possible Catalogue
ISPRS - International Archives of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences, 2017
The use of cloister vaults in the construction of noble buildings, as covering elements for square or rectangular rooms, is widespread and well-known. The geometric continuity at the intrados makes generally possible the execution all over the span of frescoes, stucco and decorations. The construction of brick vaults, from the late Middle Age, was sped up by limiting the centering to the wooden planks arches that were instrumental in the profile determination. Nowadays, the availability of several procedures, phases and tools for carrying out a survey allows to draw reliable assumptions about the construction methods and the execution time. It is mandatory to determine the properties of the binders, the shape and dimensions of the bricks, and to carry out a comparison between the geometry of the intrados surface and the evidences emerging at the extrados. The support of the laser scanner technique allows to accurately identify the surface profile and thickness. All these indications...