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C6 - Barrel Vault: Syria
C6 - Barrel Vault: Syria
techniques :
C6 Barrel vault
Country :
Syria
PRSENTATION
Geographical Influence
Definition
Barrel vault
- Horizontal framework, semi-cylindrical
shape resting on load-bearing walls
- For the building, use or not of a formwork or
formwork supports.
- Used as passage way or as roofing (in this
case, the extrados is protected by a
rendering).
Environment
One finds the barrel vault in the majority of the Mediterranean countries studied. This structure is usually used in all types of environment: urban,
rural, plain, mountain or seaside.
Associated floors:
Barrel vaults are used for basement, intermediary and ground floors for buildings and public structures. This technique is sometimes used for
construction of different floors.
In Syria, the barrel vault is found in urban and rural environments. It is common in all types of environments except mountainous areas.
Associated floors:
In Syria, this technique of construction is used in house cellars and basements, it is also found on ground floors in the shops, workshops and in
old souks.
Illustrations
General view:
Detail close-up:
This project is financed by the MEDA programme of the European Union. The opinions expressed in the present document do not necessarily reflect the position of the European Union or of its member States
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CONSTRUCTION PRINCIPLE
Materials
Illustrations
Type of laying
Type of laying, use of a formwork, formwork supports
The building of the vault is generally carried out using a wooden formwork.
The latter is composed of at least two trusses (section of the vault), on which one fixes laths of
wood (sole-piece), the outside shapes the intrados of the vault. The formwork can also
produce a more approximate shape, which is then corrected with a bed of earth or sand...
Anchored directly in the walls (cross beam, retractable) or supported by bolders (projecting
stones left in place after laying ), this unit constituting " the formwork " is held by supports.
The laying of stones and bricks is made from the springer to the key by balancing the loads on
both sides of the vault axis. In the Mediterranean area, some techniques are freed from this
formwork system (low wood supplies? tools are considered as overly cumbersome?,
particular and local know-how?...). Building without formworks is possible with regular shaped
modules (terracotta brick, cut or not), well prepared mortars (adherence of bricks, hardening
speed...) and with a particular laying method. The latter seeks to limit the overhang of a key
stacking, by creating intermediary support joints, by slanting the laying axis
(springer/key/crown) towards the walls.
In Syria today, barrel vault is laid with a wooden formwork. The main formwork is semicylindrical, assembled lengthwise between two load-bearing walls, supported by horizontal
wooden boards and by vertical beams which carry the framework, taking on the shape of the
vault; the vault is constituted on top of this unit.
Trades
Trades, number of people necessary
The barrel vault is exclusively carried out by experts, mason, mason/stone cutter, or stone
cutter helped by assistants (significant handling, mortar to prepare...), and sometimes
assisted by a carpenter for the realization of the formwork.
In Syria, Several people of art are needed to make a barrel vault. Initially, a mason and
mason/stone-cutter are needed, along with several common masons to handle and prepare
the mortar and filling. Sometimes, it would be necessary to call upon a carpenter to make the
formwork.
This project is financed by the MEDA programme of the European Union. The opinions expressed in the present document do not necessarily reflect the position of the European Union or of its member States
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Illustrations
In addition to traditional mason tools, no particular tool is necessary for the building of the
vault in throughout the studied countries.
In Syria, the traditional tools of the mason used to make cross vaults are:
1. Hammers in several shapes.
2. Chisel.
3. Hammer with transverse edges: to shape and dress stones.
4. A trowel to spread the mortar.
Performances
Physical (span...).
This construction technique leads to span widths that range from 1 to 7 meters, for a
thickness that varies from 30 to 50 centimeters and can even reach 1 meter on the edges of
the vault in Tunisia.
In Syria, the span of barrel vaults varies considerably according to the type of construction
and the shape of the arch, but the most important point is to keep certain proportions between
the length, width and height. The span can be between 2 and 4 meters in houses and reach
up to 6 meters in old souks. The thickness of the walls varies according to the shape of the
arch; the thickness of the vault is approximately 40 cm.
Thermal - Acoustic.
For a stone construction, limestone in particular, the thermal and acoustic performances have
been reported from rather good to excellent by all the countries concerned. Considering the
significant mass of the vault, its thickness, the materials used in its construction, this piece of
work has remarkable thermal and acoustic insulation qualities.
In Syria, the thickness of this stone roofing allows good performance, the earth and mortar
filling is thick and ensures both thermal and acoustic insulation.
Tools
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ASPECT, PATHOLOGY
Aspect
Illustrations
Ageing pathology
Linked to materials and climatic conditions :
As for stone or brick masonry, pathologies related to materials originate in water (capillarity,
infiltration, condensation...), which dissolves the mortars and weakens them. The control of
water infiltration is more significant in the case of the vaults; Beyond the dissolution of the
mortars it is necessary to note direct erosion, that can affect the rendering mortars.
In Syria, barrel vaults are affected by the climate and moisture which deteriorate and then
damage the external rendering of the vault. It is necessary to carry out repairs with rendering
before the climate affects the stones, and causes any partial damage to the vault.
ASSOCIATED WORKS
Openings
Small openings can be made to ventilate the rooms (in Palestine and Israel) or to give light,
particularly in the souks (Tunisia). The rectangular openings are between 0,5 and 1 meter. A
peripheral frame (rafter) distribute the loads.
In Syria, barrel vaults can have high openings in particular cases, e.g. in a covered souk, but
not in houses. These openings are square or rectangular, distributed lengthwise, contributing
to ventilation and lighting.
This project is financed by the MEDA programme of the European Union. The opinions expressed in the present document do not necessarily reflect the position of the European Union or of its member States
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REAL IS A T I O N D E S C R I P T I O N
In Syria : (Text in French)
Les votes en berceau sont poses au moyen d'un coffrage en bois construit au pralable sur la longueur ou une partie de la vote, il vient
s'appuyer sur deux murs porteurs.
Le coffrage en bois est lev en deux tapes : tout d'abord, des planchers en bois sont monts horizontalement et fixs sur les murs porteurs
supportant ainsi des piliers en bois qui portent le coffrage semi cylindrique qui prend la forme de la vote en question.
Le procd est complt par la superposition des pierres qu'elles soient tailles ou brutes avec des dimensions de 35x30x25 environ, ces pierres
sont superposes au fur et mesure que se dessine le profil de la vote en utilisant le mortier comme liant.
On commence la construction de la vote par les deux cts des murs porteurs en posant une range en saillie, puis en montant la paroi avec
son profil pour arriver jusqu' sa cl. En cas d'utilisation des moellons, les vides sont combls par de la terre, des petites pierres et du mortier
pour avoir une surface lisse.
Le tout est couvert par une autre couche de terre d'paisseur entre 50 et 70 cm, formant ainsi le plancher de l'tage du dessus.
En cas d'utilisation des moellons, l'intrados de la vote est revtu par un enduit de chaux sur trois couches : deux rugueuses "Cloue et Btaneh" et
une lisse "Dhara".
This project is financed by the MEDA programme of the European Union. The opinions expressed in the present document do not necessarily reflect the position of the European Union or of its member States
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U S E , E V O L U T I O N AND T R A N S F O R M A T I O N
Use
Types of buildings
This framework is used for all types of construction : housing, monuments and buildings public, facilities (mosques, souks, hammam, trade, craft
industries, caravanserais)
In Syria, barrel vaults are used in all types of buildings in old cities for long shaped constructions, they are also used for the roofing of
passageways, alleys, Iwans in houses and finally in old souks.
Period when the technique first appeared. Period when the technique is in use still used today or disappeared :
This construction technique has existed since antiquity. It is on the verge of disappearing everywhere, when it hasnt already completely
disappeared. It is used, however, in the restoration of certain buildings.
In Syria, the oldest constructions using this technique in old cities go back to
the Byzantine period. This technique remained in use till the end of
th
the 19thcentury. The oldest examples are in old cities and go back to the 10 century. Nowadays, the use of barrel vaults is maintained and limited
to restoration and restoration campaigns.
Evolution / Transformation
The materials
The stone barrel vault with lime mortar is used only for rare works of restoration. It has been replaced by hollow floors, using reinforced concrete
girders, soldered trellis, cement. All these new replacement materials replace, on the commercial market, the traditional materials used in the
construction of masonry with mortar. In certain cases, we can consider that it is not completely lost as far as the shape is concerned, and it simply
changed because of the emergence of brick, especially hollow brick, that generalised and replaced stone.
In Syria, there is no major change in the materials used for barrel vaults. On the other hand, cement has replaced lime or earth in the composition
of the mortar used as binding material.
This project is financed by the MEDA programme of the European Union. The opinions expressed in the present document do not necessarily reflect the position of the European Union or of its member States
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