Cross Vaults

[billybrown]

Hi! This is my first post but I wanted at ask a basic question about cross vaults. Is it possible to place a flat roof/surface on top of a cross vault or would it create structural problems?

Thanks!

 

[msquared48]

Never heard the term "cross vault" before. What is it?

Mike McCann
MMC Engineering

 

[SLTA]

Do you mean like a vaulted roof, in an X pattern? How old are the vaults? What material? I've worked on several churches and theaters that have essentially vaults or domes in a box, if that's what you mean.

 

[billybrown]

Thank you for your responses! I mean a groin vault, or a double barrel vault. The vaults are new and in sandstone.

The vaults are like this

http://www.proprofs.com/flashcards/upload/a6271274.gif

Basically, I would like to have rooms with groin vaults, with another floor on top of it. Therefore, a flat layer would have to be placed on top of the groin vaults.

Is that possible?

 

[msquared48]

So you want to pour a concrete slab on top of this?

Mike McCann
MMC Engineering

 

[dhengr]

The two black arrow in your attachment point to two of the four places that there are columns (large concentrated compressive loads) in this scheme. If the barrel vaults continue on, their side walls define grid lines which cross at the four column locations. There could be floor beams on these same grid lines and btwn. the four columns and you would cast a concrete slab which spanned over the vaults. That would be one way to develop a flat floor and/or other stories over the vaulted lower story.

 

[billybrown]

@msquared48 Basically, yes.

@dhengr Thank you for your response. Yes I believe that could work!

 

[billybrown]

@dhengr But then the columns supporting the vaults would have to continue vertically to support these floor beams?