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Structural Assessment of Guastavino Domes

Rafael Guastavino refined the technique of erecting thin terra-cotta tile, a thousand year old building system of ‘Catalan Vaulting.’ His company was involved with more than 1000 buildings in North America between the 1880s and the 1960s. Although Guastavino tile vaulting contributed to many prestigious buildings of that time, the structural behavior of this construction system has received little or almost no attention in the literature. It is the intention of this thesis to study this empirically designed system by using tools of modern engineering: experimental modal analysis, thin elastic shell theory and finite element analysis.

Table of Contents

Title Page

Signature Page

Abstract

List of Figures

List of Tables

Acknowledgments

Chapter 1  Introduction

Chapter 2  Literature Review on Research Methodology

Chapter 3  Dynamic Testing

Chapter 4  Vibrations of Spherical Shells

Chapter 5  Finite Element Analysis

Chapter 6  Rafael Guastavino and Cohesive Construction

Chapter 7  Summary and Conclusions

Appendix A  The Experimentally Obtained Mode Shapes

Appendix B  The Matlab Code

Appendix C  Legendre Polynomial Tables

Bibliography

Files
Structural Assessment of Guastavino Domes   15.2 MB 
M.S. Thesis defense presentation illustrates the modal analysis tests, finite element model development and manual updating of two Guastavino tile domes. A brief overview of characteristics and history of Guastavino tile vaulting technique is also included in the presentation.
Structural Assessment of Guastavino Domes   6.3 MB 
Rafael Guastavino refined the technique of erecting thin terra-cotta tile, a thousand year old building system of ‘Catalan Vaulting.’ His company was involved with more than 1000 buildings in North America between the 1880s and the 1960s. Although Guastavino tile vaulting contributed to many prestigious buildings of that time, the structural behavior of this construction system has received little or almost no attention in the literature. It is the intention of this thesis to study this empirically designed system by using tools of modern engineering: experimental modal analysis, thin elastic shell theory and finite element analysis.
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