voussoirs
A brick or wedge-shaped stone forming an arch is called a "voussoir." These stones are positioned and interlocked to create the curve of the arch and distribute the weight evenly downwards and outwards to the supporting columns or walls.
The ancient culture that extensively used a similar type of arch to the Romanesque arch is the Roman civilization. Romans utilized the rounded arch in their architectural designs, which laid the foundation for later Romanesque architecture in medieval Europe. The Roman arch was a key element in structures such as aqueducts, bridges, and monumental buildings, influencing architectural styles for centuries.
The central supporting post in a Romanesque church portal is typically the "jamb." These jambs are vertical sides of the doorway, often richly decorated with sculptures and carvings that depict biblical scenes or figures. They provide structural support to the arch above the door, enhancing both the aesthetic and functional aspects of the portal.
Arch Street Presbyterian Church was created in 1855.
Measure space to be arched, width, and arch height. Determine size of stones to be used. Determine number of stones. Divide angular width of arch by number of stones, to determine cut angle of stones. Build temporary support, lay stones, starting at each end, working upward, mortar (or not). Lay capstone. Remove temporary support.
The "bullet" shape is called a Gothic arch. It is the evolution of the Romanesque arch which is just a semicircle, and has a number of structural advantages.
They used a keystone. It is a wedge-shaped piece at the top of an arch. It is the final piece placed to lock in the other stones of the arch.
The arch bishop
Huddlestone Arch was built using the principles of compression and tension forces, where the stones were arranged in an arch to distribute the load and transfer it downwards. The potential energy of the stones was converted to kinetic energy during construction, as they were lifted and put into place. Gravitational potential energy played a role as stones were lifted against gravity, and this energy was released once the stones were in place, holding up the arch.
Arch distributes the pressure of the building's weight to the supporting columns and walls. To build arch, position the wooden framework called scaffolding and the wooden centrings frames, then place the arch stones or voussoirs on the top of the frames. Once the keystones are in place, remove the scaffolding and fill the space above the arch.
VAULT
The wedge-shaped stone in an arch that causes the rocks to lock together is called a keystone. It is positioned at the top center of the arch and helps distribute the weight evenly across the stones, ensuring the stability and strength of the arch.