La bóveda toroidal del Palacio de Carlos V en Granadaanálisis constructivo y estructural

Abstract

The torus that forms the lower gallery of the Palace of Charles V in Granada, a mansonry vault with a profile of rampant carpanel arch, is a structurally self-supporting system once construction is completed. Outwardly the vault thrusts are balanced with the weight of the mass built around the perimeter, but inwardly the toroidal shape itself, along with the ring of voussoirs that conform the flat archs propped up on columns, counteract the null resultant thursts. Conversely, during construction, the structure is unstable. Structural analysis shows the inability of the inner ring to resist the thrusts during the construction process. The main objective of the work here presented is the unraveling of the construction process conundrum, analyzing the structural behavior during and after the execution under rational construction asumptions, taking into account the economy of media and technology of the time and with rigorous geometric results in the soffit of the vault.