Abstract
Aim of this chapter is the study of statics of Gothic cathedrals, splendid achievements of engineering and architecture of the Middle Age. Some brief notes give information about times and places of their construction and an introductory analysis describes the structural elements constituting their stone skeleton. Two main static problems are then discussed: evaluation of the wind strength of the whole cathedral structure and analysis of the slender piers instability. The critical wind velocity for the cathedral of Amiens is determined by direct application of the Limit Analysis, via kinematical approach. The failure occurred at the cathedral of Beauvais in the past 1284 is studied in the second part of the chapter. The failure is generally attributed to the effects of foundations settlements. The chapter, conversely, inquires the possibility that the collapse could be due to piers instability, due to their exceptional height and slenderness. The question is examined in deep, analyzing, in particular, the effects of creep of the mortars on the piers strength. It is shown that the instability of the slender masonry piers, with their axial loadings eccentricities and the mortars creep effects, could be considered really responsible of the 1284 failure.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Abruzzese, D., Como, M., & Lanni, G. (1990). On the horizontal strength of the masonry Cathedrals, Rapp. Sc. del Dipart. di Ingegneria Civile, n° 29, Univ. Di Roma Tor Vergata.
Benouville, L. (1891–1892). Etude sur la Cathédrale de Beauvais, Encyclopédie d’Architecture, S. 4,4, Paris, pp. 52–54, 60–62, 68–70.
Branner, R. (1962). Le Maitre de la Cathédrale de Beauvais Art de France, 2, Paris, pp. 77–92.
Cervenka, V.J. (2002). Atena program documentation, User’s manual for Atena 2D. Prague.
Choisy, A. (1899). Histoire del l’Architecture. Paris.
Como, M. (2004). Principi costruttivi e tecniche esecutive delle cattedrali gotiche, in Europa: Civiltà del costruire: dodici lezioni di cultura tecnologica dell’architettura, a cura di G. Morabito, Gangemi editore, Roma.
Como, M. (2010). On the collapse of the Beauvais Cathedral in 1284. Reasons and investigations. In Proceedings of the Second International Congress on Construction History, Cambridge, Vol. 1, edit. By the Coconstruction History Society.
Di Carlo, F. (2005–2006). Verifica della stabilità dei pilastri non resistenti a trazione sotto carico di punta eccentrico: un’applicazione ai pilastri della cattedrale di Beauvais, a.y. University of Rome Tor Vergata, Faculty of Engineering.
Frankl, P. (1962). Gothic Architecture. London, p. 101.
Heyman, J. (1971). Beauvais cathedral. Transactions of the Newcomen Society, 40, 15–36 (1967–1968) (London).
Heyman, J. (1995). The Stone Skeleton. Cambridge University Press.
Iannotti, A. (1995). Approfondimenti sul Calcolo della spinta della volta a crociera della cattedrale di Beauvais. Exercises in the Course in “Statics of masonry historic constructions (M. Como, Faculty of Engineering, Un. of Roma Tor Vergata, Rome (Italy).
Jessop, E. L., Shrive, N. G., & England, G. L. (1978). Elastic and Creep Properties of Masonry. In Proceedings of the North American Masonry Conference, The Masonry Society, pp. 12.1–12.17.
Magrì, G. (2004–2005). Analisi delle volte a crociera della cattedrale di Beauvais. Supervisor M. Como, a.y. University of Rome Tor Vergata, Faculty of Engineering.
Morabito, G. (2004). Caratteri e tecniche del costruire nell’Europa del Medioevo, in Europa: Civiltà del costruire: dodici lezioni di cultura tecnologica dell’architettura, a cura di G. Morabito, Gangemi editore, Roma.
Orsini, S. (2011–2012). Resistenza al vento delle cattedrali. Supervisors M. Como, S. Coccia, a.y. University of Rome Tor Vergata, Faculty of Engineering.
Pavone, A. (1994). Calcolo della spinta della volta a crociera della cattedrale di Beauvais. Exercises in the Course in “Statics of masonry historic constructions” (M. Como, Faculty of Engineering, University of Roma Tor Vergata, Rome (Italy).
Sardoni, S. (2007–2008). La resistenza della cattedrale gotica all’azione del vento. Supervisor, M. Como, a.y. University of Rome Tor Vergata, Faculty of Engineering.
Shrive, N. G. & England, G. L. (1981). Elastic, creep and shrinkage behavior of masonry. International Journal of Masonry Construction, 1(3).
Viollet-le-Duc, E. E. (1854–1868). Dictionnaire raisonné de l’architecture francaise du XI e au XVI e Siècle, 10 vols. Paris.
Wolfe, M. I., & Mark, R. (1976). The collapse of the vaults of the Beauvais Cathedral in 1284. Speculum, 51(3), 462–476 (Medieval Academy of America).
Yokel, F. Y. (1971). Stability and load capacity of members with no tensile strength. Journal of the Structural Division ASCE, 27(ST7) Washington D.C.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2016 Springer International Publishing Switzerland
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Como, M. (2016). Gothic Cathedrals. In: Statics of Historic Masonry Constructions. Springer Series in Solid and Structural Mechanics, vol 5. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-24569-0_11
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-24569-0_11
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-24567-6
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-24569-0
eBook Packages: EngineeringEngineering (R0)