Albuerne, A;
Williams, MS;
(2017)
Structural appraisal of a Roman concrete vaulted monument: the Basilica of Maxentius.
International Journal of Architectural Heritage
, 11
(7)
pp. 901-912.
10.1080/15583058.2017.1309086.
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Abstract
The Basilica of Maxentius, the largest vaulted space built by the Romans, comprised three naves, the outer ones covered by barrel vaults and the central, the highest one by cross vaults. It was built on a sloping site, resulting in a possible structural vulnerability at its taller, western end. Two naves collapsed in the Middle Ages, leaving only the barrel vaults of the north nave. We describe surveys and analyses aimed at creating an accurate record of the current state of the structure, and reconstructing and analyzing the original structure. Key features include distortions of the barrel vaults around windows and rotation of the west wall due to the thrust from the adjacent vault. Thrust line analysis results in a very low safety factor for the west façade. The geometry of the collapsed cross vaults was reconstructed from the remains using solid modeling and digital photogrammetry, and thrust line analysis confirmed that it was stable under gravity loads. A survey of the foundations and earlier structures under the collapsed south-west corner revealed horizontal slip and diagonal cracking in columns and walls; this is strong evidence that the site has been subject to seismic loading which may have caused the partial collapse.
Type: | Article |
---|---|
Title: | Structural appraisal of a Roman concrete vaulted monument: the Basilica of Maxentius |
Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
DOI: | 10.1080/15583058.2017.1309086 |
Publisher version: | http://doi.org/10.1080/15583058.2017.1309086 |
Language: | English |
Additional information: | © 2017 Taylor & Francis. This version is the author accepted manuscript. For information on re-use, please refer to the publisher’s terms and conditions. |
Keywords: | Barrel vaults, Basilica of Maxentius, cross vaults, digital photogrammetry, earthquake loads, limit analysis, point cloud surveys, Roman concrete |
UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of the Built Environment UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of the Built Environment > Bartlett School Env, Energy and Resources |
URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/1560569 |
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