Roman Concrete Vaulting in the Great Hall of Trajan’s Markets: Structural Evaluation
Publication: Journal of Architectural Engineering
Volume 18, Issue 4
Abstract
An in-depth structural analysis is used to explore the design and functionality of the Great Hall of Trajan’s Markets (110 CE), a large Imperial monument cross vaulted in unreinforced Roman concrete. Following a combined approach, the analysis utilizes both field quantities and aggregate equilibrium quantities to determine how the load paths of the structure are utilized to support its own weight. The lateral arch is found not to provide any appreciable buttressing to the vault. Instead, the lower shear wall counters the vault thrusts after they traverse a frictional interface between the two travertine blocks of the support pier. Several facets of the design are altered in hypothetical models to reduce mechanical stresses. An improved configuration mimics later Imperial structures by lowering the lateral arch to the springing level, the horizontal displacement of which is found to directly determine tensile stress magnitudes in the vault. Comparisons with later, larger-span Imperial monuments vaulted in concrete reveal the Great Hall as a significant milestone in the evolution of Roman structural design.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
Acknowledgments
We sincerely thank Lucrezia Ungaro and Massimo Vitti for sharing with us survey data, archaeological insights, and, sopratutto, the Great Hall.
References
ABAQUS 6.8 [Computer software]. Vélizy-Villacoublay, France, Dassault Systèmes.
Adam, J.-P. (1994). Roman building: Materials and techniques, Indiana University Press, Indianapolis.
Addis, W. (2007). Building: 3000 years of design engineering and construction, Phaidon, New York.
American Concrete Institute (ACI). (2008). “Building code requirements for structural concrete and commentary.” ACI 318-08, Farmington Hills, MI.
Brune, P. F. (2010). “The mechanics of Imperial Roman concrete and the structural design of vaulted monuments.” Ph.D. thesis, Univ. of Rochester, Rochester, NY.
Brune, P. F., Ingraffea, A. I., Jackson, M. D., and Perucchio, R. (2012). “The toughness of Imperial Roman concrete.” Proc., 7th Int. Conf. on Fracture Mechanics of Concrete and Concrete Structures, C. O. Choi and C. Lan, eds., Korea Concrete Institute, Seoul.
Deng, Z., Li, Q., and Fu, H. (2008). “Comparison between mechanical properties of dam and sieved concretes.” J. Mater. Civ. Eng., 20(4), 321–326.
Erdogmus, E., Boothby, T. E., and Smith, E. B. (2007). “Structural appraisal of the Florentine Gothic construction system.” J. Archit. Eng., 13(1), 9–17.
Fletcher, B. (1961). A history of architecture, 17th Ed., Architectural Press, London.
Giavarini, C., Samuelli Ferretti, A., and Santarelli, M. (2006). “Mechanical characteristics of Roman ‘opus caementicium’.” Fracture and failure of natural building stones, S. Kourkoulis, ed., Springer, Dordrecht, Netherlands, 107–120.
Giovannoni, G. (1913). “Prototipi di archi rampanti in costruzioni romane.” Ann. Soc. Ing. Archit. Ital., 10, 279–292 (in Italian).
Giovannoni, G. (1929). “La tecnica delle costruzioni romane a volta.” Atti Soc. Ital. Prog. Sci., 18(1), 229–251 (in Italian).
Giuliani, C. F. (2005). L’edilizia nell’antichità, Carocci Editore, Rome (in Italian).
Heyman, J. (1966). “The stone skeleton.” Int. J. Solids Struct., 2(2), 249–279.
Jackson, M. D., et al. (2009). “Assessment of material characteristics of ancient concretes, Grande Aula, Markets of Trajan, Rome.” J. Archaeol. Sci., 36(11), 2481–2492.
Jackson, M. D., Marra, F., Hay, R., Cawood, C., and Winkler, E. (2005). “The judicious selection and preservation of tuff and travertine building stone in ancient Rome.” Archaeometry, 47(3), 485–510.
Lancaster, L. C. (2000). “Building Trajan’s Markets 2: The construction process.” Am. J. Archaeol., 104(4), 755–785.
Lancaster, L. C. (2005). Concrete vaulted construction in Imperial Rome, Cambridge University Press, New York.
Lechtman, H. N., and Hobbs, L. W. (1987). “Roman concrete and the Roman architectural revolution.” High technology ceramics: Past, present, and future, American Ceramic Society, Westerville, OH, 81–128.
MacDonald, W. (1982). The architecture of the Roman Empire, Yale University Press, New Haven, CT.
Mark, R., and Hutchinson, P. (1986). “On the structure of the Roman Pantheon.” Art Bull., 68(1), 24–34.
Perucchio, R., and Brune, P. (2009). “The evolution of structural design of monumental vaulting in opus caementicium in Imperial Rome.” Proc., 3rd Int. Congress of Construction History, NEUNPLUS1, Berlin, 1163–1170.
Perucchio, R., and Brune, P. F. (2010). “Il progetto strutturale della Grande Aula e la funzione degli archi di contrasto.” I Mercati di Traiano restituiti. Studi e restauri 2005–2007, M. Del Moro, M. Vitti, and L. Ungaro, eds., Dipartimento di Ingegneria Strutturale e Geotecnica Università degli Studi di Roma “La Sapienza,” Palombi Editore, Rome (in Italian).
Samuelli Ferretti, A. (1996). “Effettuazione di prove sistematiche su component: Mattoni, malte e conglomerati prelevate in sito.” Materiali da costruzione e tecnologie costruttive del patrimonio archeologico e monumentale romano, Rome (in Italian).
Samuelli Ferretti, A. (1997). “Proposte per lo studio teorico-sperimentale della statica dei monumenti in opus caementicium.” Mater. Struct., 7(2-3), 63–84 (in Italian).
Samuelli Ferretti, A. (2005). “The structures of the Basilica.” The Basilica of Maxentius: The monument, its materials, construction and stability, C. Giavarini, ed., L’Erma di Bretschneider, Rome, 161–224.
Saouma, V. E., Broz, J. J., Brühwiler, E., and Boggs, H. L. (1991). “Effect of aggregate and specimen size on fracture properties of dam concrete.” J. Mater. Civ. Eng., 3(3), 204–218.
Ungaro, L. (2007). “Trajan’s Market.” The Museum of the Imperial Forums in Trajan’s Market, L. Ungaro, ed., Electa, Milano, Italy.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Architectural Engineering
Volume 18 • Issue 4 • December 2012
Pages: 332 - 340
Copyright
© 2012 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Jun 2, 2010
Accepted: Feb 9, 2012
Published online: Feb 11, 2012
Published in print: Dec 1, 2012
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.