BUILDING TECHNOLOGY

VAULT STRUCTURES

PRESENTED BY-
ARJITA GUPTA
HARSHALI PANDE
SONAL NARKAR
RONAK NANDAN
UNMESH MHATRE
THE COMPONENTS OF VAULT
Elements of vaults
• ABUTMENT -A structure built to support the lateral pressure of an arch or span, e.g. at the ends of a bridge.
• IMPOST -Top course of a pillar or a wall that supports the arch or vault.
• INTRADOS -Inner curve of an a arch or vault.
• VOUSSIOR-A wedge shaped or tapered stone used to construct an arch or a vault .
TYPES-
GROIN VAULT-
• The word “groin” refers to the edge between the intersecting vaults.
• A Groin vault is created by two barrel vaults intersecting at right
angles.
• The arches of vaults are rounded or pointed. A Groin vault also known
as a Double Barrel vault.

•Construction of a Groin Vault Ceiling

•A groin vault ceiling is simply the construction of several groin
vaults in a row. By repeating a series of groin vaults, builders
realized they could form a ceiling over long rectangular areas of
space like a hallway.
• Each groin vault tends to be square in shape, and the longer
the ceiling, the more groin vaults needed to cover it.

A groin vault or groined vault (also sometimes known as

a double barrel vault or cross vault) is produced by the
intersection at right angles of two barrel vaults.
The word "groin" refers to the edge between the intersecting
vaults. Sometimes the arches of groin vaults are pointed instead
of round.
In comparison with a barrel vault, a groin vault provides good
economies of material and labor.
The thrust is concentrated along the groins or arises (the four
diagonal edges formed along the points where the barrel vaults
intersect), so the vault need only be abutted at its four corners.
 BARREL VAULT-

• The simplest form of vault which is generally semicircular in

cross section is a barrel vault.
• It is also called a tunnel vault and wagon vault because of its
resemblance with a barrel or tunnel that has been cut into
half lengthwise.

Construction of a barrel vault ceiling

• Brick is the primary construction material, without a doubt. But
peculiarly terracotta brick is used.
• Limestone, too, comes in the most common material list, in the
construction of barrel vaults.
• For the composition of mortars, or for the filling to be done in the
openings of the exterior curves of the arch, gypsum and lime,
broken brick pieces, and assemblies of clay items, like broken pots
and coal debris are used.

The barrel ceiling is made up of a continuous set of arches that bridge

the length greater than 24 inches.

The issue with barrel vault construction is the pressure that occurred
on the lower parts of the vaults. Because of the heavy semicircular
arch, an outward force is created in the lower sections, which leads to
the breakdown of the vault. Therefore, additional strength is provided
to the walls in the form of side anchors.
 RIB VAULT-

Ribbed vault is defined as the intersection of two or three barrel

vaults. Rib vaults is reinforced by masonry ribs.
Types of Rib vault:
There are two types of rib vault.
• Quadripartite rib vault :
When two masonry ribs dividing into 4 sections.
• Sexpartite rib vault:
when three masonry ribs dividing into 6 sections.

• Construction of ribbed vault ceiling

Rib vaults support the roof; they transfer the force of the
weight outwards and downwards through a web of thin stone
ribs, connected to the pillars and columns below and to
buttresses outside

• When the Ribbed vault are edged with an armature of

piped masonry often carved in decorative patterns.
• Some ribbed vaults even have six section in each bay.
• It is best for roofing purpose.
FAN VAULT-
A fan vault is a form of vault used in the Gothic style, in
which the ribs are all of the same curve and spaced
equidistantly, in a manner resembling a fan.

Construction of a Fan vault ceiling

• The ribs of a fan vault are of equal curvature and rotated
at equal distances around a central (vertical) axis, forming
the conoid shape which gives rise to the name.
• In between sequences of conoids, flat central spandrels
fill the space.
CASE STUDY
VAULT STRUCTURES
LOS MANANTIALES, MEXICO
INTRODUCTION
• Architects-Felix Candela
• Location-Canal Principal, San Jerónimo, lily-like float with about 42 m in
Xochimilco, 16420 Mexico City, Federal District, diameter and 25x30m
Mexico paraboloids with a maximum
• Category -Restaurant height of 8.25m that inside is
• Architect in Charge-Felix Candela reduced to 5.90m natural.
• Design Team-Colin Faber
• Project Year -1958

MATERIAL
• Los Manantiales was created as Candela’s
mastery thin-shell concrete construction.
• Steel bars

BUILDIN CONSTRUCTUION TECHNOLOGY

• Thickness of the shell is 40mm.
• eight groins is thickened into a V-shaped beam
• Los Manantiales is an eight-sided groined vault composed of four intersecting hyperbolic
paraboloid saddles.
• These beams enhance the groins’ stiffness, reducing bending and deflection, and thereby
eliminating normal edge forces. Instead of membrane stresses reaching the shell’s edges
and generating tension.
 • At the supports, the V-beams anchor into inverted umbrella footings.
• These unique footings cup the earth, preventing the shell from sinking in the wet
Mexican soil.
• To resist lateral thrusts, adjacent footings are linked with ∅1” steel bars. the
shell’s saddle spans are only 1-5/8” thick.
• The roof is a circular array of four curved-edge hypar saddles that intersect at the
center point, resulting in an eight-sided groined vault.
• The plan is radially symmetric with a maximum diameter of 139 feet. Groins
spanning 106 feet between supports.

• Trimmed at the perimeter to form a canted parabolic overhang, the shell

simultaneously rises up and out at each undulation.
• The force paths from these overhangs act in the opposite direction from forces
along the arched groin, reducing outward thrust.
• Narrow boards were used as formwork, following the straight-line generator
that forms the hypar surface. Steel reinforcing and a layer of cement grout (to
create a smooth inner surface) underlie concrete applied one bucket at a time
by laborers.
• In the front edges of the parables the space from glass plates with metallic trim
2.40 x 2.40 meters.
 MATERIAL AND METHOD OF CONSTRUCTION
SANGATH SANDWICHED CONSTRUCTION OF VAULT :`
• The vaulted roof is of locally-made clay fuses over the concrete slab, which provides
a non-conducting layer.

• The top finish of china mosaic glazed tiles further adds to the insulation.
• Being white and glossy it reflects sun while being made from clay it retards the heat
transmission

•Architect & client : B.V. Doshi

•Location: thaltej road,ahmedabad
• Period of const. : 1979-1981
• Project engineer: b.S. Jethwa, y.Patel
•Site area: 2425 m2
•Total built-up area: 473 m2
•Project cost: 0.6 million
• The concrete of slabs and wall surfaces are kept bare unplastered as
final visual finishes, which provide a natural look and save on finishing
Material quantity.

Ceramic: Rcc ,water proofing material ,china mosaic finish ,broken china
mosaic ,glass
VAULTED ROOF FORM :

•The roof form creates an efficient surface/volume ratio optimizing material

quantities. The higher space volume thus created provides

For hot air pockets due to convective currents that keep lower volumes

relatively cool.
•The ventilating window at upper volume releases the accumulated hot air through

pressure differences.

DESIGN FEATURE
THE VAULTED ROOF IS OF LOCALLY-MADE CLAY FUSES OVER THE
CONCRETE SLAB, WHICH PROVIDES A NON-CONDUCTING LAYER

The structure is closely

Integrated with the
outdoor space.
 MAPUNGUBWE SALIENT FEATURES:
• The project is developed for labour-intensive construction to
INTERPRETATION CENTRE enable poverty relief and skills transfer into the surrounding area.
• Form-finding based on equilibrium thrust line analysis allows the
design of thin unreinforced masonry shells that act in pure
compression.
• Traditional tile vaulting, using locally made, pressed soil-cement
tiles, allows the complex shapes to be built by newly trained
workers without extensive formwork.
• The complex landscape was both the inspiration for the design and
the source of most of the materials for its construction
CONSTRAINT
•ARCHITECT : PETER RICH S
•LOCATION: MAPUNGUBWE NATIONAL MAKING USE OF EMPLOYMENT
MINIMISING STEEL
PARK, SOUTH AFRICA LOCAL MATERIAL GENERATION
•YEAR OF COMPLETION. : 2010
• VAULTS DESIGNED BY : J. OCHSENDORF
AND M. RAMAGE
• SITE AREA: 3000 SQ M
TILE VAULTS
DESIGN REQUIREMENTS : (NO REINFORCING STEEL & MINIMAL FORMWORK)
-The proposals needed to provide about 3000 m2 • Making 200,000 pressed soil-cement tiles locally put a dozen people to work
of exhibition space for the artefacts of the for a year.
Mapungubwe Kingdom, interpretive areas for the
cultural and natural significance of the park, and
headquarters for the park staff, and amenities for
visiting tourists.
- To improve the condition of the local
communities, providing a source of income
generation to the tribal population in the vicinity.
 MATERIAL STRUCTURAL DESIGN
• At Mapungubwe, the traditional use of fire clay bricks was replaced
• Tile vaults rely on fast-setting gypsum mortar and thin
with less energy-intensive stabilised earth tiles.
• tiles laid on edge.
The tiles are made of local earth and sand mixed with 5% cement
• This type of vaulting, sometimes called Catalan or
and pressed using a modified Hydra form block press.
• Guastavino vaulting, is not in common use today, but is
The modification allows thin tile production from a standard press
a traditional Mediterranean technique which, between
on reusable plywood blanks.
• 1880 and 1960.
The structural forms of the shells were designed to have low
• The rapid set of the mortar and the structural shape
stresses of about 1.5 MPa acting in compression only, because the
allow the mason to span between guides, relying on
soil cement tiles can only withstand about 5 MPa.
structural action to develop while the building is under
construction.

Rectangular large span

vault 15m X 8m resting
on four corners

TYPE OF
VAULTS
USED

A domed vault
Shallow barrel
topping the round
vault
cairns
 CONSTRUCTION PROCESS
• The construction work on site began with laying foundations to
support the vaults.
• The vaults spring from walls and raised buttresses structurally
tied to resist the (horizontal) thrust of the vaults.
• The tile vaults are 30% less expensive than an alternative in
reinforced concrete shells.
COST
• The vaults cost about $110/m2 of vault, at a construction
rate of 31 hours/ sq. m.
• By comparison, the Pines Calyx, a vaulted building in
England designed by some of the same team members,
took 20 hours/ sq. m and cost about $450/ sq. m.
• The handmade tiles of the Pines Calyx were expensive at
about £2.50 (30 Rand) each, while the tiles in South Africa
cost about 2 Rand each.
THE OPERA HOUSE IS SUPPORTED ON 580 CONCRETE
PIERS SUNK UPTO 25 M BELOW SEA LEVEL.
THE SHELLS WERE ENCLOSED BY CURTAIN WALLS.