Parametric Design of Masonry Vaults Based on Structural Affinity

In this paper a novel method for the design of complex affine vaults is proposed. By merging the thrust line theory with Rankine’s concept of the transformation of structures, the system of complex groin vaults whose constituent parts are mutually affine cylindrical vaults is treated. The method enables the omission of the analysis of the actual structural action within a vault without jeopardising the vault’s stability. That provides simplicity of the overall computation as well as the fast evaluation of the vault’s thrust. The proposed parametric model for the equilibrium analysis of affine vaults is based on the geometrical properties of a suitably chosen initial vault’s part exposed to transformations, where the disposition of supports in a vault’s plan becomes the main input for the computation. The method provides the design of the variety of complex affine vaults, as well as the automated calculation of the resultant loading exerted to supports with their graphical representation.