groin vault
Quick Summary
A groin vault is a structural element in architecture formed by the intersection of two barrel vaults at right angles. This creates a square plan where the thrusts are concentrated at the four corners, allowing for less massive supporting walls compared to a continuous barrel vault.1
The development of the groin vault by Roman architects allowed for spanning rectangular areas of unlimited length. However, its construction required precise stone cutting, a skill that declined in the West after the fall of Rome. Vaulting techniques were preserved and advanced in the Byzantine Empire and the Islamic world.1
In medieval Europe, the groin vault was modified into the rib vault, which uses a skeleton of arches or ribs to support the masonry. This innovation, combined with pointed arches, allowed for greater height and lighter construction, paving the way for Gothic architecture.213
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vaultā¦at right angles formed a groin vault, which, when repeated in series, could span rectangular areas of unlimited length. Because the groin vaultās 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,ā¦
Read Moreā¦at right angles formed a groin vault, which, when repeated in series, could span rectangular areas of unlimited length. Because the groin vaultās 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,ā¦
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architectureVaultā¦right angles to form the groin vault, which is square in plan and may be repeated in series to span rectangular areas of unlimited length. This vault has the additional advantage that its thrusts are concentrated at the four corners, so that the supporting walls need not be uniformly massiveā¦
Read Moreā¦right angles to form the groin vault, which is square in plan and may be repeated in series to span rectangular areas of unlimited length. This vault has the additional advantage that its thrusts are concentrated at the four corners, so that the supporting walls need not be uniformly massiveā¦
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constructionEarly concrete structuresā¦large fragments of great concrete cross-vault buildings still survive from the late empire. The first of these is a portion of the Baths of Diocletian (c. 298ā306) with a span of 26 meters (85 feet); it was converted into the church of Santa Maria degli Angeli by Michelangelo in theā¦
Read Moreā¦large fragments of great concrete cross-vault buildings still survive from the late empire. The first of these is a portion of the Baths of Diocletian (c. 298ā306) with a span of 26 meters (85 feet); it was converted into the church of Santa Maria degli Angeli by Michelangelo in theā¦
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ancient RomeCultural lifeThe use of concrete and cross vault enabled Roman architects and engineers to span wide areas; their technological achievements included the covered vastness of the huge thermal establishments, the massive solidity of the amphitheatres, and the audacity of the soaring bridges and aqueducts. The East was greatly impressed. Admittedly, theā¦
Read MoreThe use of concrete and cross vault enabled Roman architects and engineers to span wide areas; their technological achievements included the covered vastness of the huge thermal establishments, the massive solidity of the amphitheatres, and the audacity of the soaring bridges and aqueducts. The East was greatly impressed. Admittedly, theā¦
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