Abstract
The cross ribbed vault was a very important advance for construction technology, because it allowed almost any space to be covered by joining together a group of arches that supported a light surface. This system was characterized by its high flexibility and versatility, which allowed the construction process to be optimized while the designs became more complex. This article presents several detailed analyses of some cross ribbed vaults that belong to different chronological periods and were designed by various authors, in order to show the resources that were used during their construction. Despite their specific form, a search for the simplification and systematization of the constructive process underlies them all, which sometimes caused the modification of the design’s geometrical pureness. This shows the deep constructive knowledge of their authors, who developed optimized solutions without losing the formal elegance of the vaults.
Highlights
This article presents several detailed analyses of some cross ribbed vaults that belong to different chronological periods and were designed by various authors, in order to show the resources that were used during their construction
One of the principle milestones in the development of historical construction technology was marked by the use of cross ribbed vaults to cover spaces
The design of the diagonal ribs was conditioned by this starting point, a problem which was resolved through the use of two different curvatures for one same rib: different branches were drawn from the keystone to each of the springers
Summary
The cross ribbed vault was a very important advance for construction technology, because it allowed almost any space to be covered by joining together a group of arches that supported a light surface. This system was characterized by its high flexibility and versatility, which allowed the construction process to be optimized while the designs became more complex. This article presents several detailed analyses of some cross ribbed vaults that belong to different chronological periods and were designed by various authors, in order to show the resources that were used during their construction Despite their specific form, a search for the simplification and systematization of the constructive process underlies them all, which sometimes caused the modification of the design’s geometrical pureness.
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