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Lecture

Pointed Arches and Flying Buttresses

In course

CIVIL-122: Structures I

Le cours présente les bases du comportement des structures, de la détermination des efforts qui y agissent et les principes de leur dimensionnement. Le cours est basé sur la résolution des efforts par la statique graphique. ...

Description

This lecture discusses the operation of pointed arches and flying buttresses in Gothic architecture. It covers the modeling of full and half pointed arches, forces and supports distribution, and the role of buttresses in cathedrals. The instructor explains how to ensure equal efforts in the entire arc and the importance of adapting segment weights for proper support.

Instructor

Olivier Burdet

Born 1960, Olivier Burdet has received his Diploma in Civil Engineering from EPFL in 1983. After a couple years in engineering practice, he went back to studying at the university of Texas at Austin, where he received his PhD in 1990. Returning to EPFL in 1990, he is now a senior researcher and a lecturer in the field of reinforced concrete structures. He is also actively involved in the development of internet-based course contents and MOOCs.

Official source

Ontological neighbourhood

Architecture

Architectural styles: Topics in architectural styles

Related concepts (32)

Gothic architecture

Gothic architecture is an architectural style that was prevalent in Europe from the late 12th to the 16th century, during the High and Late Middle Ages, surviving into the 17th and 18th centuries in some areas. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture. It originated in the Île-de-France and Picardy regions of northern France. The style at the time was sometimes known as opus Francigenum (French work); the term Gothic was first applied contemptuously during the later Renaissance, by those ambitious to revive the architecture of classical antiquity.

Flying buttress

The flying buttress (arc-boutant, arch buttress) is a specific form of buttress composed of an arch that extends from the upper portion of a wall to a pier of great mass, in order to convey to the ground the lateral forces that push a wall outwards, which are forces that arise from vaulted ceilings of stone and from wind-loading on roofs. The namesake and defining feature of a flying buttress is that it is not in contact with the wall at ground level, unlike a traditional buttress, and transmits the lateral forces across the span of intervening space between the wall and the pier.

Pointed arch

A pointed arch, ogival arch, or Gothic arch is an arch with a pointed crown, whose two curving sides meet at a relatively sharp angle at the top of the arch. This architectural element was particularly important in Gothic architecture. The earliest use of a pointed arch dates back to bronze-age Nippur. As a structural feature, it was first used in eastern Christian architecture, Byzantine architecture and Sasanian architecture, but in the 12th century it began to be used in France and England as an important structural element, in combination with other elements, such as the rib vault and later the flying buttress.

French Gothic architecture

French Gothic architecture is an architectural style which emerged in France in 1140, and was dominant until the mid-16th century. The most notable examples are the great Gothic cathedrals of France, including Notre-Dame Cathedral, Reims Cathedral, Chartres Cathedral, and Amiens Cathedral. Its main characteristics are verticality, or height, and the innovative use of the rib vault and flying buttresses and other architectural innovations to distribute the weight of the stone structures to supports on the outside, allowing unprecedented height and volume.

English Gothic architecture

English Gothic is an architectural style that flourished from the late 12th until the mid-17th century. The style was most prominently used in the construction of cathedrals and churches. Gothic architecture's defining features are pointed arches, rib vaults, buttresses, and extensive use of stained glass. Combined, these features allowed the creation of buildings of unprecedented height and grandeur, filled with light from large stained glass windows. Important examples include Westminster Abbey, Canterbury Cathedral and Salisbury Cathedral.

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Delves into generative modelling in architecture, emphasizing the importance of understanding the history of shapes and the ethical implications of preserving asymmetries.

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