• Digital Humanities and Cultural Heritage

From the 19th century onwards, with the introduction of new materials, such as iron and reinforced concrete, there was a significant change in construction, and vaults were gradually abandoned. However, before the Modern Movement, in the age of historicism, vaults were still used in churches and representative buildings. In the handbooks and treatises of the time, the more traditional techniques were included alongside the more modern ones and it is not uncommon, even well into the 20th century, to find chapters devoted to the construction of vaults. The search for economy in construction became particularly necessary in the post-war periods when many historic buildings had to be rebuilt. Traditional techniques of lightweight vault construction were used and the possibilities of new techniques were incorporated. Even some systems were patented. This article deals with the construction of light vaults between the mid-19th and mid-20th centuries in Belgium, one of the pioneering countries in the industrial revolution.

Gothic church vaults - an economic perspective: The uneven occurence of vaults from the period ca 1275-1550 in the Danish (incl. the Schleswig area) churches is mapped. Presuming that the main function of the vaults was fire protection, and that all congregations wanted their church vaulted, it is argued that the distribution of vaults reflects economic conditions, and the conditions of church building are presented in a model.

In his article on "Hereford Cathedral" published in the Archaeological Journal in 1877, Sir George Gilbert Scott suggested that the Romanesque presbytery was originally covered with a high groin vault on the basis of the suitability of the broad pilasters on the piers for supporting transverse arches of such a vault. While Scott's case for a high vault has been generally accepted, it has not been seriously tested through a detailed examination of the fabric. This note presents new evidence in the masonry above the eastern crossing arch in support of a Romanesque high vault, considers the manner of its construction in relation to other vaults in the West Country School of Romanesque architecture, and examines the case for its being of groined or ribbed design.

L'objectiu d'aquest treball és donar a conèixer la tècnica constructiva tradicional de la volta, la seua eficàcia en l'arquitectura present; i la seua importància en el futur. El TFG se centra en l'estudi de voltes construïdes sense cintra, més detalladament en l'ancestral tècnica de la volta núbia. Es tracta d’un sistema que permet la construcció barata i ecològica d'un sostre durador per a les poblacions més empobrides sense necessitat d'utilitzar fusta per a la seua construcció, en zones on aquesta escasseja. El treball indaga y descriu l'origen d'aquesta volta, a més de la seua aplicació actual en diferents països i a diferents nivells d'arquitectura, a través de l'Associació Nubian Vault que ha codificat i simplificat aquesta antiga tècnica. També s’analitzarà pas a pas el seu procés de construcció. Un altre punt important en aquest treball, és la comparació amb altres tècniques constructives tradicionals semblants. Finalment i no menys important, es realitza una anàlisi aïllat i es valoren els avantatges i inconvenients del seu ús. El objetivo de este trabajo es dar a conocer la técnica constructiva tradicional de la bóveda, su eficacia en la arquitectura presente; y su importancia en el futuro. Nos centraremos en el estudio de bóvedas construidas sin cimbra, más detalladamente en la ancestral técnica de la bóveda Nubia. Un sistema que permite la construcción barata y ecológica de un techo duradero para las poblaciones más empobrecidas sin necesidad de utilizar madera para su construcción, en zonas donde ésta escasea. El trabajo informa sobre el origen de esta bóveda. Observaremos su aplicación actual en distintos países y a diferentes niveles de arquitectura, a través de la Asociación Nubian Vault que ha codificado y simplificado esta antigua técnica. También analizaremos paso a paso su proceso de construcción. Otro punto importante en este trabajo, es la comparación con otras técnicas constructivas tradicionales semejantes. Por último y no menos importante, se realizará un análisis aislado y se valoran sus ventajas e inconvenientes de su uso. The objective of this work is to make known the traditional construction technique of the vault, its effectiveness in present architecture; and its importance in the future. We will focus on the study of the constructions without formwork, more in detail in the ancestral technique of the Nubian vault. A system that allows the cheap and ecological construction of a durable roof for the most impoverished populations without the need to use wood for its construction, in areas where it is scarce. The work informs about the origin of this vault. Observe its real application in different countries and different levels of architecture, through the Nubian Vault Association that has codified and simplified this ancient technique. We will also analyze your construction process step by step. Another important point in this work is the comparison with other similar traditional construction techniques. Last, but not least, an isolated analysis was carried out and its advantages and disadvantages of its use were evaluated.