Vaults are among the oldest known engineering structures, and have escorted the history of architecture through thousands of years. Nowadays, construction industry rarely uses them, and doesn’t consider them as a general option to be used for floorslab structures, although they offer several opportunities. The presentation aims to re-introduce vaults into everyday usage, emphasizing their efficient shape, building technology and aesthetic values.
The following aspects are featured in the paper:
-mathematical definition of vaults, -main technical terms considering vault constructions, -main features of the statics of vaults, -connection of the force-trajectory and the central core, -importance of shape for ideal material distribution, -a proposal for a contemporary floorslab structure featuring beams and narrow vaultzones, -pros and cons of the proposed floorslab structure