ABCM CHINMAY RAJESHIRKE

5TH C
Arches Vaults and Domes

1. INTRODUCTION: a. VAULTS
b. DOMES
c. ARCHES
2. EXAMPLES: a. VAULTS : THE BRICK VAULT LIBRARY
b. DOMES : DA CHANG MUSLIM CULTRAL CENTRE
c. ARCHES : GODAVARI ARCH BRIDGE.
VAULTS
• Vault, in building construction, a structural member consisting of an
arrangement of arches, usually forming a ceiling or roof.
• The basic barrel form, which appeared first in ancient Egypt and
the Middle East, is in effect a continuous series of arches deep enough
to cover a three-dimensional space. It exerts the same kind of thrust
as the circular arch and must be buttressed along its entire length by
heavy walls with limited openings.
• Roman architects discovered that two-barrel vaults that intersected at
right angles formed a groin vault, which, when repeated in series,
could span rectangular areas of unlimited length. Because the groin
vault’s thrusts are concentrated at all four corners, its supporting walls
need not be massive and require buttressing only where they support
the vault. The groin vault, however, requires great precision in stone
cutting, an art that declined in the West with the fall of Rome. Vaulting
was continued and improved in the Byzantine Empire and in
the Islamic world.
DOMES
• Dome, in architecture, hemispherical structure evolved from the arch,
usually forming a ceiling or roof. Domes first appeared as solid mounds
and in techniques adaptable only to the smallest buildings, such as round
huts and tombs in the ancient Middle East, India, and the
Mediterranean. The Romans introduced the large-scale masonry
hemisphere. The dome exerts thrusts all around its perimeter, and the
earliest monumental examples, such as the Roman Pantheon, required
heavy supporting walls.
• Byzantine architects invented a technique for raising domes on piers,
permitting lighting and communication from four directions. The
transition from a cubic base to the hemispherical dome was achieved by
four pendentives, inverted triangular masses of masonry curved both
horizontally and vertically, as shown in the figure. Their apexes rested on
the four piers, to which they conducted the forces of the dome; their
sides joined to form arches over openings in the four faces of the cube;
and their bases met in a complete circle to form the dome foundation.
The pendentive dome could rest directly on this circular foundation or
upon a cylindrical wall, called a drum, inserted between the two to
increase height.
 ARCHES
• Arch, in architecture and civil engineering, a curved member that is used to span an opening and
to support loads from above. The arch formed the basis for the evolution of the vault.
• Arch construction depends essentially on the wedge. If a series of wedge-shaped blocks—i.e.,
ones in which the upper edge is wider than the lower edge—are set flank to flank in the manner
shown in the figure, the result is an arch. These blocks are called voussoirs. Each voussoir must be
precisely cut so that it presses firmly against the surface of neighbouring blocks and conducts
loads uniformly. The central voussoir is called the keystone. The point from which the arch rises
from its vertical supports is known as the spring, or springing line. During construction of an arch,
the voussoirs require support from below until the keystone has been set in place; this support
usually takes the form of temporary wooden centring. The curve in an arch may be semicircular,
segmental (consisting of less than one-half of a circle), or pointed (two intersecting arcs of a
circle); noncircular curves can also be used successfully.
• In masonry construction, arches have several great advantages over horizontal beams, or lintels.
They can span much wider openings because they can be made from small, easily carried blocks
of brick or stone, as opposed to a massive, monolithic stone lintel. An arch can also carry a much
greater load than a horizontal beam can support. This carrying capacity stems from the fact that
pressure downward on an arch has the effect of forcing the voussoirs together instead of apart.
These stresses also tend to squeeze the blocks outward radially; loads divert these outward forces
downward to exert a diagonal force, called thrust, that will cause the arch to collapse if it is not
properly buttressed. Hence, the vertical supports, or posts, upon which an arch rests must be
massive enough to buttress the thrust and conduct it into the foundation (as in Roman triumphal
arches). Arches may rest on light supports, however, when they occur in a row, because the thrust
of one arch counteracts the thrust of its neighbours, and the system remains stable as long as the
arches at either end of the row are buttressed. This system is used in such structures as arched
stone bridges and ancient Roman aqueducts.
 VAULTS
THE BRICK VAULT LIBRARY
• The complex curved roof, which serves as
the design’s anchoring element, was
developed through extensive research and
experimentation. The architects were
particularly drawn to brick due to its
unmatched characteristics in terms of
tactility, availability, and performance,
especially as protection and insulation
against the harsh sun.
• After considering a wide range of building
techniques, including shells made from
concrete, Sameep Padora & Associates
looked towards timbrel vaulting, which dates
back to the Catalan region in the 14th-
century.
• Leveraging old and new knowledge,
Sameep Padora & Associates were able to
create an innovative three-layer brick vault
that spans 145-feet long and 25-feet wide,
without the use of any columns or beams.
• The double-curved surface that forms the
school’s roof was created using Rhino Vault,
a plug-in for 3D-modeling program
Rhinoceros that facilitates the design of
structures that are held together solely by
compression.

INTRODUCTION
• The building occupies a narrow strip of land
between existing buildings and the school's
boundary, which looks out onto the adjacent
farmland.
• The site's proportions informed the building's
linear floorplan, which is enveloped by a fluid
roof form that appears to grow out of the
ground.
• The project was designed in the year 2015
but lay unbuilt for 2 years. Alluding to the
intuitive impetus that children have towards
landscape we imagined the library building
to be a formal extension of the ground, using
brick as material for its tactility, availability as
well as its utility as insulation against the
strong sun.

SITE PLAN
 ELEVATION ARCHED ENTRY

SECTION

LIBRARY ENTRANCE

WINDOWS

SKETCHES
 ROOF AS AN INTERSECTION
OF PATHWAYS

CIRCULATION
 LIBARAY FLOOR PLAN +
CIRCULATION AREA

FLOOR PLAN
ELEVATION

SECTION
• The vaulted surfaces are found throughout
the Mediterranean and are typically created
by laying bricks lengthwise on top of a
wooden form.

• The complexA double-curved surfaces

required to form the school's roof were
created using a plug-in for 3D modelling
programme Rhinoceros, which facilitates the
design of structures that are held together by
compression only.

• The vaulted roof encloses a single room with

capacity to house over 22,000 books. Small
courtyards are situated in the gaps between
where the roof touches the ground.

• The roof spans 44 metres and comprises

three layers of 32-millimetre-thick brick tiles
held together by mortar. The result is an
undulating roofscape that is strong enough
to walk across.

• Daylight pours into the library through

angular glazed walls that are set back from
the edge of the overhanging roof structure to
ensure they are shaded from the sun's
harshest rays.

DETAILS
• We hence parsed through several possible
material configurations ranging from
concrete shells to brick vaults for building
this ‘architectural landscape’. At this point we
were captivated by the material efficiencies
of the Catalan tile vault from the 16th
century, it’s use by Gustavino in the early
19th century and finally the incredible details
from the work of Eladio Dieste from the mid-
twentieth century. While working with the
specific site condition we used Rhino Vault
developed by the Block Research Group at
the ETH to articulate a pure compression
form for the project.

• After considering different building

techniques including concrete shells and
brick vaults, the team settled on a method
for creating structural arches known as the
Catalan vault.

DETAILS
• The mesmerizing vault encloses a
single room with over 5,000-square-
feet of floor space and the capacity to
house 22,000 books.

• Though the Catalan vault system had a

Roman precedent, it is lso known as a
timbrel vault, the Catalan vault is a thin
vaulted structure that spans and
encloses space by means of
compression. It usually comprises three
layers of brick tiles held together by a
quick-setting mortar and constructed
using a minimal formwork made of
timber slats. Prevalent in
Mediterranean countries, it later spread
across the world. Yet while it eventually
went out of fashion, engineers such as
Eladio Dieste rediscovered it and
elevated it into a structural art.

CATALIAN VAULT
• With a width of 25ft and span of 150ft, it is
probably the widest and longest example of
the Catalan vault built to date and is also the
first permanent structure of its kind.
Unusually, it has no intermediate supports,
so the resultant form generates a free-
flowing, unobstructed space.

• It also optimises use of materials. Three

layers of 20mm brick tiles were laid
perpendicular to each other and held
together by mortar, so the structure carries
only 140 tonnes of self-weight. The steel
cage employed as formwork to construct the
first tile layer was later reused in other
buildings. Each layer of tiles required around
four weeks to construct, so the building took
about nine months to complete, comparable
to the more conventional steel and concrete
frame structures that surround the library.
However, when it comes to sustainability,
efficiency and elegance, the library clearly
prevails.

CATALIAN VAULT
• The fluid form emerges out of careful
consideration and manoeuvring of
parameters. The vault’s springing point was
located so that the library entrance orients
towards the playgrounds. Its arches face the
landscaped area, encouraging students to
step outside during cooler months of the
year. The flow and proportions of the curve
were adjusted to achieve a suitable working
height as well as visual impact. Laid out in a
zigzag pattern, timber-framed windows of
varying dimensions cover the openings
below the arches. The zigzag arrangement
was necessary because the windows had to
stand up and be self-supporting. The lower
halves of the windows are glazed, while the
upper parts are covered by netting to allow
airflow, affording a well-lit, adequately
ventilated and comfortable space. Inside the
sinuous, vaulted space, bookshelves are
arranged diagonally along a central spine.

• Padora hopes that students will be able to

walk over the vault as they shuffle between
the two playgrounds, an idea that would help
to develop an intimacy with the building.

CATALIAN VAULT
 DOMES
DA CHANG MUSLIM CULTRAL CENTRE
• Academician of China Engineering
Academy He Jingtang reinterpreted
the concept of traditional mosque with
new materials and technologies by
creating petal-shaped arches
and petalous shells for the dome of
the Da Chang Muslim Cultural Center
in China.

• Specializing on cultural architecture,

the architect was commissioned to
design an iconic Cultural Center by
the local government to introduce
Dachang’s particular culture and
enhance the soft power of the city.

• Encompassing a total of 35,000

square meters area, the national
palace is thus endowed with multiple
functions, serving not only as the
recreation center of the city, but the
essential cultural site for the
introduction of local religion and
history as well.

ARCHES
• A colonnade of petal-shaped arches
creates an illuminated walkway
around the perimeter of this
Muslim cultural centre designed by
Chinese architect He Jingtang.

• The surrounding arches shrink into

elegant curves from the bottom up,
while the cambering petal-shaped
arches of the reflection in the water
look even more vivid and graceful.

ARCHES
ARCHES
INTRODUCTION

• The Dachang Muslim Cultural Center

was commissioned by the local
government for the Muslim community
of Dachang County, which is located
to the east of Beijing in China's Hebei
Province.

• One side of the building is reflected by

a pool of water and approached via
footbridge, while the other opens out
onto a broad public plaza.

• "The building subtly interprets the

spatial structure of a mosque with new
materials and technologies," said the
architect.

SITE PLAN
FLOOR PLANS
INTRODUCTION

• Lattice domes are steel dome structures having members

that follow the circles of latitude, and two sets of diagonals
forming a series of isosceles triangles.

LATTICE DOME
INTRODUCTION

• Designed by architect He Jingtang, the 35,000-square-

metre building is square in plan and topped by a large
latticed dome, echoing the forms and geometric patterns
found in traditional Islamic design.

• "The dome sees the translation and abstraction of

Islamic symbols rather than simple mimicking,"
he continued.

• "We constitute the dome with petaloid shells and

creatively transform the interior space into a semi-
exterior roof garden flooded with sunshine, fresh air and
vegetation."

LATTICE DOME
 ARCHES
NEW GODAVARI ARCH BRIDGE
• The Godavari Arch Bridge is a bowstring-girder bridge
that spans the Godavari River in Rajahmundry, India. It
is the latest of the three bridges that span the Godavari
river at Rajahmundry. The Havelock Bridge being the
earliest was built in 1897, and has served its full utility,
was decommissioned in 1997. The second bridge
known as the Godavari Bridge is a truss bridge and is
Asia's second longest railroad bridge.

• The bridge is one of the longest span prestressed

concrete arch bridges in Asia. The Indian Railways who
built this bridge have stated that "It is perhaps for the
first time anywhere in the world that a bowstring arch
girder using concrete has been constructed for such a
long span of 97.55 meters (320.0 ft), and that too for the
Railway loading. It has been widely used to represent
Rajahmundry in arts, media, and culture. It is one of the
recognized symbols of Rajahmundry.

ARCHES
• The bridge is built across the Godavari River, the
largest river in South India at over 1,000 meters
(0.62 mi) in length. It is built in the region as the
river enters into the deltaic reach before
discharging into the sea 60 kilometers (37 mi)
downstream of the bridge. At the location of the
bridge, the Godavari river flows with a width of
about 3 kilometers (1.9 mi), split into two channels
with an island formation in between. The maximum
discharge observed in the river is reported to be
around 3 million m3/s and the maximum velocity of
water flow is 5 meters (16 ft) per second.[1] The
bridge is located in a cyclonic area where the wind
speed touched 200 kilometers (120 mi) per hour.

• The bridge is located in two channels, the Kovvur

channel and the Rajahmundry channel, and hence
the bridge is also known as the Kovvur-
Rajahmundry Bridge. The Rajahmundry channel
has a deep rocky bed, and even the water level is
18–20 meters (59–66 ft). Comparatively the Kovur
channel is shallow with a water depth of about 8–
10 meters (26–33 ft) and the riverbed is made up
of clay deposits.

ARCHES
 `

ARCHES
PLANNING

Godavari Arch Bridge was to be built to replace the Havelock Bridge, which
had served its full utility. Initial plans made for the bridge considered a
superstructure made of steel. But, as the usage of concrete as construction
material had become popular since its introduction in the 1930s, the issue of
the type of superstructure was re-examined by the Indian Railways. It was
decided to examine the possibility of evolving a prestressed
concrete bridge with a 97.55 meters (320.0 ft) span. Firms were pre-qualified
for the purpose with preferred options suggested for submission of offers,
and for the preference of steel girder or concrete girder.
Among the three firms which were shortlisted to submit proposals, two firms
opted for concrete bridge and one for steel bridge. On the basis of these
proposals, the authorities at Indian Railways prepared the Terms of
Reference prescribing the design criteria. Following this, the three qualified
firms, the Research Design and Standards Organization, and the Railway
Board were taken into consideration to indicate their views and comments on
the Terms of Reference. And, subsequently, the design criteria for the bridge
were finalized.
The proposals received from the three firms were examined by Proof
Consultants who recommended that the design offered by Hindustan
Construction Company be accepted. It proposed the bowstring-girder type
concrete arch of span 92.552 meters (303.65 ft) with prestressed
concrete box girder to act as the tie. Following this recommendation, the
proposal of Hindustan Construction Company was accepted considering its
technical feasibility and financial viability. Hindustan Construction
Company won the order to plan, design, and build the bridge.

ARCHES
SPECIFICATIONS

• The twin arches, box girders, struts are all made of prestressed concrete.

• The twin arches have a constant width of 0.8 meters (2 ft 7 in) and depth
varying from 1.7 meters (5 ft 7 in) at the springing to 1.1 meters (3 ft 7 in)
at the crown. These are connected laterally with struts (known as
Vierendeel truss) and box girder.

• There are 28 identical spans of twin arches, of the parabolic profile,

spaced at 5.6 meters (18 ft), each of 97 meters (318 ft) width from center
to center of the piers with a total length of 2.7 kilometers (1.7 mi).

• The effective span from center to center of the bearings is 94 meters (308
ft).

• Each girder is 95.552 meters (313.49 ft) long.

• The final dimensions of the box girder are 95.462 meters (313.20 ft)×5,200
millimeters (200 in) (bottom) with a thickness of the top slab of 296
millimeters (11.7 in), the web of 300 millimeters (12 in) thickness and with
the bottom slab thickness kept at 240 millimeters (9.4 in). A diaphragm
stiffens the box girder at each Dina Hanger location.

• The substructure of the bridge consists of 28 piers.

ARCHES
DESIGN ASPECTS :
The superstructure of the bridge is of the bow-string girder type. While designing, the projected speed for the trains was taken as 160 km per hour.
Taking into consideration the cyclonic conditions, the wind speed considered without live load was 200 kilometers (120 mi) per hour, and with dead
load, the speed considered was 158 kilometers (98 mi) per hour. As the location of the bridge is in Seismic Zone I, the seismic load has not been
accounted for in the design.

The bridge is designed to run trains at a speed of 160 miles (260 km) per hour and is designed to withstand a wind speed of 200 miles (320 km) per
hour during cyclonic storms that are anticipated in and around Rajahmundry.

1. ARCHES
The arches are designed to share 80% of the dead load
and live load transferred from the hangers and thus
plays a critical role in relieving the flexural and shear
stresses on the girder. Twelve sinking supports are
provided at each hanger location connecting with the
girder.
ARCHES
2. HANGERS
Each span of the bridge has 24 hangers, which are further divided
into six types depending on their length. Each Dina Hangar is made
of 49 high tensile steel wires of 7 millimeters (0.28 in) diameter
each. These wires run parallel to each other and are encased in a
high tensile polythene pipe, which is cement grouted.
 3. GIRDERS
The box girders are made of M42 grade concrete. Each girder
was prestressed with 16 longitudinal cables, which in turn were
prestressed to a force of 2950 kN each.
The box girder, which functions as the deck of the bridge and
carries the live load, comprises an end diaphragm (1,000
millimeters (39 in) thick), which has inspection windows.
The design of the girder accounts for loading conditions of full
span trainload, half span train load, one-third span train load, and
so forth with due accounting of temperature variation of ±10 °C
(50 °F). At each stage of the casting of the girders (seven stages
of casting were involved for each girder from girder stressing to
the removal of form work) forces generated in the arch, a section
was studied and accounted for. The girder casting also ensured
that no cracks appeared in the arches at any stage.
ARCHES
4. BEARINGS
The bridge has been provided with pot bearings, of 1050 tonnes
capacity. On each pier, the girder is supported on four pot bearings of
three types: PNa, PNe, PN.
The PNA type bearing (which facilitates free sliding in both directions)
on one pier and PNe type (slides only in one direction) in the
succeeding pier and PN type which is fixed type.
The PNA and PNe type of bearings have been pre-set for 60 millimeters
(2.4 in) movement in the longitudinal direction and 10 millimeters (0.39
in) in the lateral direction and the centerline of the top plate has been
fixed relatively by 60 millimeters (2.4 in)/10 millimeters (0.39 in)
concerning the centerline of the bottom plate of the bearing which will
permit the movements due to creep, shrinkage and elastic deformation.
Their placement ensures that only longitudinal movement takes place
without permitting any lateral moment.
Three sets of bearings were imported from Switzerland, while the
balance bearings were made by BBR (India) Pvt Ltd, India..
THANK YOU
CHINMAY RAJESHIRKE
5TH YEAR C
crajeshirke@gmail.com