Author(s)

M. Turan

Abstract

Domes and supports: structural vulnerability of masonry shells M. Turan School of Architecture and Planning, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA ABSTRACT Transition from square plan to dome within the limitations of brick and stone was a major construction problem, as well as geometrical and structural, for the designers and builders of masonry shell structures. Limitations of available materials and construction techniques at the same time allowed architectural solutions that led to different support conditions to be exercised and experimented with, depending on the design requirements and preferences. Four such support systems have been categorized for the masonry shells in Anatolia during the pre-Ottoman and Ottoman periods: columnar grid, abutting walls, perimeter walls (or, dome on cube), and polygonal piers. Structural behavior of domes with these support systems as generic types is analyzed under axisymmetrical and antisymmetrical loading condit

Keywords