The article deals with ceilings composed of vaults based on small height masonry arches. It considers the co-operation of arches and vaults and distinguishes two construction configurations: one, in which the vault is based on a wall above the arch, and the other, in which the vaults are partly supported by the wall and partly by the keystone fragment of the arch; in the latter case, the vault and arch co-operate in shifting the burden. Such co-operation makes it feasible to increase the load borne by the ceiling by 20-50 per cent. The possibility of taking arches and vaults into consideration is of essential significance for conservation since it permits the avoidance of a rash discharge of the vaults with the aid of steel bars or reinforced concrete additions. The author presents a statical analysis of the problem, formulae for practical calculations and an example of determining the bearing power of the ceiling.
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