Utilizarea expresiei matematice a arcului catenar în ingineria arhitecturală a bolților

Abstract

Catenara is considered one of the most harmonious forms in architecture. The use of the mathematical expression of the catenary spring provides an aesthetically pleasing appearance for the vaults, with an elegant curve and uniform stress distribution. The catenary is the ideal shape that a suspended chain takes under its own weight, being the result of a uniform distribution of compression forces. The catenary or inverted chain line has been used in architectural engineering since ancient times, with examples in structures such as vaults and arches of historical monuments. The complete solution of the catenary problem was one of the first applications of the differential calculus and represented a major breakthrough in applied mathematics and gave impetus to the widespread use of the catenary spring in architectural engineering.