Design and analysis of cross vaults along history

The history of cross vaults began almost 2,000 years ago with a widespread use during the Middle Ages and Renaissance, becoming nowadays one of the most diffused and fascinating structural typologies of the European building cultural heritage. However, conversely to the undeniable excellence achieved by the ancient masons, the structural behavior of these elements is still at the center of the scientific debate. In this regard, with the aim of reviewing the knowledge on this subject as a concise and valuable support for researchers involved in conservation of historical buildings, with a focus on design rules and structural analysis, the present study firstly introduces the cross vaults from a historical perspective, by describing the evolution of the main geometrical shapes together with basic practical rules used to size them. Then, the article deals with the subsequent advancements in structural analysis methods of vaults, until the development of modern limit analysis.This work was partially carried out under the program "Dipartimento di Protezione Civile - Consorzio RELUIS", signed on 2013-12-27.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Stone pavement materials and construction methods in Europe and North America between the 19th and 20th century

The majority of historical urban areas in western countries are paved with stone elements, which have been used since the expansion of land trade routes to the emergence of motorization. Any approach to the conservation and functional and structural rehabilitation of historically significant stone pavements must include an informed preliminary analysis of construction criteria. We present a historical study and engineering analysis of the most common types of stone pavements of this period based on an original database of technical documents, and our focus is on local terminology and constructive methodology used in Italy, Europe, and North America. The authors believe that a historical awareness and knowledge of the types of materials, the functions required of road surfaces, and the reasons for the choices of different soil preparations constitute indispensable requirements for the proper restoration and conservation of this immense common heritage. © 2018 Taylor & Franci