Automated Detailing and Stability Analysis of Under-Construction Masonry Vaults

Abstract

This paper presents a new parametric framework to analyze the constructability of masonry vaults in the early design phase. The most important part of this constructability analysis is estimating the structural stability of a vault during construction when the vault should stand without any formwork in a self-supporting way. This framework provides a set of generative identifier and analyzer algorithms that generate the detailed model of the vault, identify the unusual construction conditions, and analyze the stability of the vault, respectively. Based on the obtained feedback, the designer can modify the initial parameter values by which a vault is generated. To analyze the stability of an under-construction vault, the algorithms can generate models at different stages of construction and can also calculate the material properties of fresh mortar, which change during construction. These tasks are done by identically considering the sequence and timing of the virtual positioning of bricks and real bricklaying.