Masonry Construction
Seccond Lecture
Reviewing the types of historical vaults and Domes
March 2013
Invention of masonry vaults and domes are might the most important improvement in the history of architecture. These elements were important means to overcoming of limitation of blocks or timbers in covering the wide spans. One of the oldest example of masonry domes is The Treasure of Atreo also named Agamemnon’s Tomb was built in in is In 1350 BC at Mycenae, Greece. a conical dome with 14.6 m diameter and 13.5 m height.it was constructed with stone. This type of construction was continuing until the industrial revolution which replaced by the steel and concrete.
The Dome of Treasure of Atreo
The Section of Treasure of Atreo
Entrance of Treasure of Atreo
Barrel Vault Barrel vault is the extrusion of arch along the horizontal axes. The arch can be semicircular arch or pointed arch.
Barrel Vault Tournus Abbey, France
Semi circular barrel vault Lisbon-Cathedral, Portugal
Pointed barrel vault Senanque Abbey, France Taq-i Kisra,Iraq
Cross Vault Cross Vault Is composed of two barrel vaults The diffusion of forces are along the principle axes of arch surfaces
Cross Vault
San Pietro Church, Italy
Basilica Palladiana, Italy
Peterborough cathedral , England
St. Agnes Church, Poland
Rib vault Ribbed vault is the intersection of two or more barrel vault, which the lines of crossing thicken, in order to stabilize the connection lines. The uses of ribs in groin vault were in thought of covering unpleasant finishing in place of the groin but then they became the necessary element for stiffing the weakness of the vault. different types of vaults with complex geometry are originated from ribs Stellar vault (star shape pattern)
Force Diffusion
St. Maria Mercado-Spain
cathedral saint John, Poland
Examples of Complex Rib Vaults
Holy cross cathedralGermany
Lincoln Cathedral-Uk
Gloucester cathedral-uk
Examples of Complex Rib Vaults
Wells Cathedral UK
Fan Vaults Fan vault is composed of curved ribs with same curvatures which are places equidistantly, providing a curved shell surface or conoid shape. The ribs joint together tangentially an form a flat surface between them. The forces distributions are along the ribs and surface.
Fan Vaults
KING’S COLLEGE CHAPEL, UK
Bath cathedral UK
ELY CATHEDRAL,UK
Surface Dome Surface dome: an arch rotates around its vertical ax to form a hemispherical shape . The loads are transferred through the any vertical inter-section of the dome. The plan of surface dome is a circle . additional arches, pendentives and squinches are constructive device which permit the placing of surface domes over a rectangular room.
Surface Dome
Domus Aurea, Italy
Surface Dome
Hagia Sophia, Turkey
Pendentive is the triangular segment of the sphere, taper in end point and expands in top part, allows the connection between circular part and rectangular base. Masonry pendentives also are responsible of directing the loads to the pillars.
Surface Dome
Varamin Mosque,Iran
Squinch is the small arch, corbeling built cross the interior angle between two walls, filling the corner with vise placed diagonally to make the square space, covered by octagonal or spherical dome.
Ribbed Dome Consist of hemisphere and ribs which connect infill surface with each other. the loads are directed along the ribs and infill surfaces.
Ribbed Dome Sant'Ivo alla Sapienza, Italy
Stacked Arch Dome Basically the stacked arch dome is composed of series of corbelled arches. The chains of arches progress from the first line toward the apex. The arches form the nested arch, which direct the loads along them to the keystone of beneath arch.
Stacked Arch Dome
Sindone Chapel , Italy
Some Examples of Geometrical Iranian Domes
Yazdi Bandi Dome
Aminodeleh Bazar, Iran
Qom Bazar, Iran
Kase Sazi Dome
Emam Hosein Mosque, Iran
Muqarnas Dome
Esfehan Jame Mosque, Iran
Thank You...