VAULTED STRUCTURES
GAYATRI DOME
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This project has been built in Auroville, in the community of Auromodele, at Suryanivas as a pavilion which is meant to play a “spiritual game”.
The concept of this pavilion was based on a lotus shape, emerging from water. Thus the pointed shape of the dome and the building
emerging like from a pond. The walls were built with compressed stabilised earth blocks, 14 cm thick and the roofing structure presents these
features:
 Octagonal pointed dome 6.4 m diameter, 4.4 m rise
 Squinche dome and “Conical” vaults above the corner rooms
 “Triangular” vault above the side galleries
 Thickness of the vaults and dome: 7 cm
 The dome and all vaults have been built free spanning
The entrance of the compound was marked by a monumental pointed arch. This arch was design to allow a truck to pass below and therefore
no truss rod could be used. This arch was built on two pillars made of composite columns 290. Each pillar was composed of 4 columns 290
which were reinforced with 12 mm vertical bars.
Segmental groined dome completed in 5 days with 4 masons
The horizontal trust of this arch was going out of the pillars at about 70 cm above ground and therefore the pillars had to deal with the shear
stress created by the horizontal trust. A special arrangement of the stirrups allowed the pillars to bear this shear. The arch was built on a
centring done with block laid with a very sandy earth mortar, so as to be removed easily later on.
DOME AND OTHER VAULTED STRUCTURES OF GAYATRI
Starting the octagonal dome
Starting a pendentive
Building a pendentive
Laying the first rings above the pendentives
Dome in progress
Dome near completion
Completed dome
Starting the conical vault in the corner
Building the conical vault in the corner
Starting the squinche to meet the conical vault
Building the squinche
Squinche in progress
Squinche near completion
Closing the gap between the conical vault and the squinche
with an earth concrete
Starting the conical vault
Window frame used as a template to create the shape
Conical vault in progress
Completing the vault by checking with a straight edge
Gayatri dome completed
Pointed dome with the squinches domes on the side
Pointed dome covered with ceramic tiles
POINTED ARCH
4 composite columns with 12 mm vertical bars
Square stirrups for every column, placed every 2 courses high
Laying block of the columns
Crossed stirrups to take care of the shear caused by the horizontal
trust, placed every 2 courses high
Doing the centring on blocks laid on a very sandy earth mortar
Starting the arch
Courses of the arch rising
Applying the mortar with 0 mm at the intrados
Bond pattern for the odd courses
Checking the alignment of the arch with a string line
Checking the verticality with a plumb line
Bond pattern for the even courses
Building the arch symmetrically
Arch completed, before removing the centring
Arch near completion
Linking the side blocks of the keystone with reinforcement bars
Arch completed