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It has been said that arches never sleep, that they are almost living in the way they adapt to change. Using case studies of Ely Cathedral in England and Chartres in France, the tracks on this album examine the way in which the design of arches developed in the early middle ages, and use mathematical models to explore some of the problems faced and overcome by the stone masons. This material makes up part of the course MST209, Mathematical methods and models.
Track 6: Vaults and Flying Butresses
John Trapp discusses the medieval building techniques which took into account the lines of thrust within an arch.
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Tracks in this podcast:
| Track | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Arch Never Sleeps | A short introduction to this album. Play now The Arch Never Sleeps |
| 2 | Introduction to Ely and Chartres Cathedral | A brief history of these two stunning Cathedrals, looking at their architecture and engineering. Play now Introduction to Ely and Chartres Cathedral |
| 3 | Stone | John Trapp looks at stone as a building material, especially it's use in building the Parthenon in Greece. Play now Stone |
| 4 | The Arch | Using models, Professor Francis Evans explains how arches stay standing. John Trapp and Professor Jacques Heyman look at the arches at Ely Cathedral. Play now The Arch |
| 5 | Lines of Thrust | Professor Francis Evans uses a physical model to show the line of thrust in an arch, and how changes in force affects it's stability. Play now Lines of Thrust |
| 6 | Vaults and Flying Butresses | John Trapp discusses the medieval building techniques which took into account the lines of thrust within an arch. Play now Vaults and Flying Butresses |
| 7 | The Pinnacles | Professor Francis Evans shows why the pinnacles at Ely Cathedral are not just aesthetical, but how they balance out the forces within the structure. Play now The Pinnacles |
| 8 | 16th Century Extensions | John Trapp and Professor Jacques Heyman look at how medieval engineers managed forces within the stonework at Ely cathedral to extend an outer wall. Play now 16th Century Extensions |
| 9 | Forces in Masonry: Ely | Professor Francis Evans takes Hooke's theory of arches, and explains that the forces at work witin an arch are the same as those in domes. Play now Forces in Masonry: Ely |
| 10 | Flying Butresses at Chartres | The butresses at Chartres Cathedral are examined. Mathematic models describe how and why the top tier of butresses was added. Play now Flying Butresses at Chartres |
| 11 | Beauvais Cathedral | A look at what happens when the forces in stone structures are not kept in equilibrium. Play now Beauvais Cathedral |
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