ARCHES, DOMES AND VAULTS

B.V.C.O.A

OMKAR PILANKAR | 5TH YEAR / B | A.B.C.M

INTRODUCTION to Arches
An arch is a curved structural structure that carries loads around an opening to abutments,
jambs, or piers on each side of the arch's profile.

Many other structural forms, such as vaults, arcades, and bridges, arose from the skills used
to design and build arches.

Arches have no tensile stresses because they are compressive structures. They can support
themselves and are compressed by the force of gravity pressing on their weight.

Components of arch :

ABUTMENT OR PIER :

It belongs to the portion of wall or pier upon which the arch is supported

ARCH RING :

It is a series of stones or bricks which contain a curve same as that of arch

PAGE 1
INTRADOS OR SOFFIT :

It stands for the under-surface of an arch

EXTRADOC :

It belongs to the external surface of an arch or the exterior curve

of the arch ring

VOUSSOIRS OR ARCH BLOCK:

It stands for the wedge shaped units to developed the arch are
called voussoirs or arch stones or arch block.

SPRINGING STONE OR SPRINGER:

Springing stone or springer is the initial voussoirs at springing

level on both side of thearch.

SPRINGING LINE:

It belongs to an fictitious line that connects two

springing points

CROWN:

Crown stands for the uppermost point of the

extrados or it is the top part of the arch.

KEY-STONE:

It stands for the uppermost central wedge-shaped block of an

arch.

SKEW-BACK:

It belongs to the surface of the abutment on which the arch

is supported on.

PAGE 2
SPAN:

Span refers to the apparent horizontal gap among supports

RISE:

Rise belongs to the vertical distance among the springing line and the uppermostpoint on
the intrados

SPRINGING POINT:

Springing points belongs to the points at extremities of the intrados.

DEPTH OF ARCH:

The depth of the arch signifies the perpendicular space among the intrados and the extrados

HAUNCH:

Haunch of the arch belongs to the part of the arch that is located centrally among the
keyand skew backs.

SPANDRIL:

Spandril stands for the triangular walling surrounded by the extrados of the arch, a
horizontal line from the crown of the arch and a perpendicular line from the rising of the
outer curves

IMPOST :

The projecting course is provided on the upper part of a pier or abutment to stress the
springing line. This course is called impost

BED JOINTS:

The joints between the voussoirs are called bed joints. These bed joints are radiate from
center of arch. The red color lines in the below figure are bed joints

CENTER OF ARCH :

The geometrical point based on which the arcs

forming intrados of arch, extrados of arch and arch
rings are described is the center or striking point

PAGE 3
SPAN OF AN ARCH:

The clear horizontal distance between the supports or abutments or piers is termed asspan
of an arch

RISE OF AN ARCH :

The clear vertical distance between the highest point on the intrados and the springing line
is called as rise

DEPTH OR HEIGHT OF AN ARCH:

The perpendicular distance between the intrados of arch to the extrados of arch is called
depth of an arch or height of an arch

THICKNESS OF AN ARCH:

This is the breadth of soffit which is measured perpendicular to the front and back faces of
an arch.

PAGE 4
TYPES OF ARCHES:
THE TRIANGULAR ARCH

The triangle arch, invented by the

Mayans, is made up of two big
diagonal stones that span an entrance
by mutually supporting each other.

ROUND ARCH

The semi-circular arch, which is built in a

continuous curve and is also known as a semi-
circular arch, was devised by the Romans.
They were frequently used in sequence to
create an arcade. An adaptation is the
ubiquitous round arch, which has varied
lengths of support on both sides.

SEGMENTAL ARCH

This is a sort of arch that has a rise that is

less than a semi-circle. Because larger spans
can be accomplished without considerably
boosting height, segmental arches were
extensively used for bridges with flatter
shapes. Because more force is given to the
abutments sideways as the arch becomes
flatter, these bridges necessitate large
abutments on both sides.

PAGE 5
THE LANCET ARCH

This form of pointed arch was built during the Gothic period.
It was extensively utilised in the construction of windows and
roofs of churches and cathedrals. The arch is tall and slender,
with a pointed apex.

EQUILATERAL ARCH

Equilateral arches were very popular

for ornamental entrances and
windows throughout the Gothic
period. The crown of the intrados
and the two springing points create
an equilateral triangle, with each
curve having a chord length equal to
the span.

INTRODUCTION to Domes
The dome has a long history in architecture, and it has been used as an architectural
component in a wide range of structures all over the world. Domes can be seen in
Persian, Roman, Byzantine, Islamic, and Renaissance Italian architecture.

Domes evolved from arches and were originally used only for small structures such
as huts and tombs; however, as construction and design techniques improved, they
became more popular as a way to showcase grand structures such as cathedrals,
legislative buildings, and, more recently, leisure structures such as sports stadiums

Some of the terminology that is often associated with domes include.

PAGE 6
The apex of a dome (sometimes known as the 'crown') is its highest point.

CUPOLA : A cupola is a tiny dome on a roof or turret.

EXTRADOS: A dome's outer curve.

HAUNCH: A portion of an arch located roughly midway between the base and the
summit.

INTRADOS: A dome's interior curvature.

SPRINGING. : The point from which the dome rises is referred to as the springing.

ANALYSIS OF DOME
The regular horizontal thrust impacts the supports, but it also happens at the crown
of an arch, balancing the other half of the arch.
Buttresses or encircling ties can be used to
control it. Domes are tiny shells shaped like
revolution surfaces. The thickness of the shell
may vary over its surface, for example, it may be
increased in some sections to prevent breaking.
Loading Horizontally Dome structures are self-
supporting structures that take the shape of an
arch and distribute external loads around the
sides and down to the foundations.

TYPES
CORBEL DOME

This is one of the earliest dome types, known as a

'beehive dome,' and dates back to Paleolithic
construction. They are not real domes since they
are constructed of horizontal brick layers that are
somewhat cantilevered until they meet in the
middle.

PAGE 7
CROSSED ARCH DOME

This is one of the earliest varieties of ribbed

vault, with the ribs intertwined to form
polygons rather than meeting in the dome's
centre, leaving an empty space in the middle.
The earliest known specimen dates from the
10th century and is housed at Cordoba's Great
Mosque.

ONION DOME

These domes are distinguished by

the way they swell out beyond their
base diameters and taper smoothly
in an ogee (S-curve) shape. They are
typically gilded or brightly painted,
and they are generally taller than
they are wide. They have
traditionally been associated with
Russian architecture, notably multi-
domed churches. For more
information, go to St. Basil's
Cathedral.

UMBRELLA DOME

Another name for it is a ribbed, parachute, or scalloped

dome. These are cut into curved sections that follow the
contours of the elevation. The ribs of the dome are radial
construction lines that go down the springs from the peak.

PAGE 8
INTRODUCTION to Vaults
An arch is a curved structural structure that
carries loads around an opening to
abutments, jambs, or piers on each side of
the arch's profile. Because pressures are
spread uniformly over the curvature of an
arch, it is structurally highly resistant under
compression.

A vault is a sort of structural element

composed of a series of arches that is
typically used to construct ceilings or roofs.

A 'vault' is also a storage space or chamber, particularly one that is subterranean or

safe.

The type of vault is determined by the arrangement of arches in relation to

one another.

HISTORY OF VAULT :
In building construction, a vault is a structure at a member that consists of a
collection of arches, usually forming a ceiling or roof. The basic barrel form, which
initially emerged in ancient Egypt and the Middle East, is still in use.

A continuous set of deep enough arches to fill a three-dimensional region. It has the
same thrust as a round arch and must be buttressed along its whole length by
massive walls with narrow gaps.

A groyne vault was found by Roman architects when two barrel vaults intersected
at right angles.

The rib vault, a skeleton of Arches or ribs on which the brickwork may be put, was
devised by the Medieval European builders.

PAGE 9
TYPES
BARREL VAULT

A barrel vault (also known as a cradle vault,

tunnel vault, or waggon vault) is a continuous
arching structure that can resemble a semi-
cylinder or be pointed at the apex to mimic the
roof of a tunnel. To make it, a series of arches
are often stacked side by side (or sometimes by
a continuous shell).

CORBELL VAULT
A corbel is an architectural element that protrudes
from a wall and functions as a kind of bracket for
supporting weight, such as that imposed by a
balcony above.

Corbel arches have the appearance of an inverted

stairway because they are made up of two opposing
sets of overlapping corbels that meet at a summit.
When these arches are organised in a row, they
form a corbel vault.

RIB VAULTA rib vault is a structural

"skeleton" of arches that can be covered with
brickwork. The crossed-arch dome is one of
the oldest types of ribbed vault, with the ribs
intertwined to form polygons rather than
meeting in the dome's centre, leaving an
empty space in the middle. The first known
crossed-arch dome comes from the 10th
century and can be found at Spain's Great
Mosque of Cordoba.

PAGE 10
FAN VAULT
A fan vault is a type of Gothic architecture that
is made up of a succession of concave sections
or ribs that extend out from a number of spring
points.

PAGE 11