engleski

Structural Analysis in the Research of the Construction History : A Case Study

The cathedral of Sibenik is an outstanding Croatian Quattrocento building, inscribed to the UNESCO Heritage List in 2000. It is a stone structure, specific for the construction and structural behavior of its vaults. The thin stone vaults are constructed of monolithic stone slabs, wedged into slender stone arches, which are tightened with tie-rods. As structural analysis proved, these “ large- panel” barrel and semi-barrel vaults do not behave like usual masonry vaults, but transfer the most of their loads to the arches. To research how this original vault system was developed, the analysis of the building phases of the structure was carried out. The historic sources, examined by generations of art- historians, provided precious data for the reconstruction of the building phases. The 3D models helped to understand the progress of construction – as the three-dimensional virtual reconstruction enabled to understand the structure as a spatial entity. The analysis of virtual models of the early stages of construction enabled to understand its construction history and its structural logic. It inspired a new hypothesis on the nature of problems that appeared in the first period of building, when the construction was suspended. It suggested that fractures, even collapse of the groin vault bays completed by then would have occurred if these vaults have had no tiers. Thus, a contemporary researcher can observe on the models the problems that ancient builders coped with in reality. Besides the theoretical knowledge that it can provide, it can also be a useful tool for the research and for the appropriate maintenance and consolidation of the architectural heritage.

architectural heritage ; construction history ; structural analysis ; stone vault ; cathedral of Sibenik

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