Earthen domes and habitats. Villages of Northern Syria

376

Earthen Domes and Habitats

Fig. 9: First step: separation between the external skin and the inner shell.

‘skin’ is too thin. It must be stated that in this test the overload condition was less powerful (for geometrical reasons) over this area. Our clear feeling is that the mud mortar role is fundamental in ‘explaining’ how to get that kind of monolithic-conglomerate necessary for the existence of a dome like this with the given geometry. This gluing also seems clear where the brickwork, as it is in the model pendentive, requires a large use of mortar and, on the contrary, it is minimum where the bricks prevail over the earthen mortar. List of References Benseval, R. 1984, Technologie de la voûte dans l’orient ancient, Tome 1, Edition Redherche sur les Civilisations, Paris. Briccoli Bati, S., Rovero, L. & Tonietti, U. 2008, ‘Considerations on methods to evaluate the compressive strength of earth building materials’, International Conference ‘Terra 2008’, Bamako. Morel, J-C., Pkla, A. & Walker, P. 2005, Compressive strenght testing of compressed earth blocks, Elsevier. Fumagalli, E. 1973, Statistical and geomechanicals models, Ed. Sprinter-Verlag, Wien.

Fig. 10: Second step: dilatation of the cracks L1 and horizontal development of the crack L2.

Fig. 12a: Simple dome: structural behaviour interpretation.

Fig. 12b: Simple dome

Fig. 11: Third step: discharging arch resulting from the union of the cracks L2 and L3. Separation between the dome and the walls below.

Fig. 13a: Sultan dome: structural behaviour interpretation.

Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook

Earthen domes and habitats. Villages of Northern Syria

Published on Sep 21, 2013

DIDA

Earthen traditions are far too valuable to dismiss as irrelevant to the modern world and indeed future generations, they must remain as an example to the caring and ecologically aware architects and builders that are emerging around the world. (…) This European Union Project, and this book, have been achieved through a successful co-operation between the University of Florence, several European Universities and Institutions and the General Directorate of Antiquities and Museums in Syria, adds a valuable window, shedding light on the northern Syria tradition of striking domed houses. The ICOMOS Scientific Committee for Earthen Architectural Heritage applauds and encourages such excellent publications in the search for an accurate and useable worldwide typology and description of earthen buildings. This book contributes a great deal to these goals.