ii'G THEORY OF AUC:iII TKCTUKE.

lioOK
II.
the method abi)ve given seems to be a safe guide to tlie ariliiiect. In the case of oblong
arL-hes, the results must he obtained for each side.
H56. In the case of grolnin;;s conipo'-ed of many i)Mys, the chief care necessary is in tlie
external piers, wliich will require especially to be of sufficient thickness. 1 hosa in the
middle, being counterb danced all round, have only to bear the weights of their respective
arciies, for which purpose they must have a proportional area and be of such stone as the
weight will not crush. But it ought to he recollected that in good construction the area
(if tlie points of support should he so distiihuted as to establish for each a sufficient strength,
because a single weak point will often endanger the whole fal)ric.
1457. In practice, a readier method will be wanting than that which has been just dis-.
cussed; we therefore subjoin one which agrees well enough with theory and experiment,
and it is as follows. Let ABCD
(fy.
5S5. Mo.
1.)
he the .space to be covered by a
groined vault supported in the centre by the pier E. Dividing each side into two equal
parts, draw the lines HI, G crossing each other in the centre E, and the diagonals A E,
EB, EC, ED and H F, HG, IF", IG crossing each other in tFie points K, K', K", K'".
in No. 2. draw the pier its half height to the level of the sjiringing, which half height
transfer from K to L, and divide EL into twelve parts. One of these parts will be a half
diagonal of the pier. For the intermediate piers H, F, I, G, after finding the diagonals of
the half piers, produce them outwards to double their projection within, so that altogether
their thickness may be once and a half their wiilth. For the angular piers this method
will give an area of base
1.^
times greater, which will enable them to resist the thrust they
have to sustain.
1458. When the width of the space to be vaulted is to be divided int three bays, and
th it of the middle is recjuired to be raised above those of the other two, as in the case of
churches with side aisles, the bases of the points of support may be determined in two
ways. That most used, which is borrowed from the Gothic examples, is to give to the
areas of the bases of the points of support merely the extent necessary to bear the load they