Geometry and Actual Construction in Brick Vaults by Slices: The Case of Carranque in Spain

Abstract

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.