Forums > Specific Focus > Home, Garden & Construction in Mexico

Gary sculptari

Nov 21, 2002, 11:47 PM

Post #1 of 5 (1472 views)

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Look what Steve in San Miguel has been up to!

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This guy is just getting better all the time!

Low cost barrel vault construction, using the curves of the building as structural support. I guess those medieval builders had it right all the time.

http://www.geocities.com/...concrete/bvaults.htm

Will send him an email to see if he will come on mexconnect to tell us any details,

Abq

Dec 25, 2002, 6:22 PM

Post #2 of 5 (1196 views)

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Re: [Gary sculptari] Look what Steve in San Miguel has been up to!

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I've met Steve and seen his work. Amazing, but some of the colorful stuff was a little too adventurous for me. I am still thinking of using his services for a more traditional look for an addition on my roof deck.

raferguson

Dec 26, 2002, 7:11 PM

Post #3 of 5 (1174 views)

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Re: [Gary sculptari] Look what Steve in San Miguel has been up to!

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One thing to keep in mind with any vault roof is the outward force on the walls. He mentions in passing a "bond beam", which may be holding the walls together. You could imagine a reinforced concrete beam that goes around the top of the walls, and holds it all together. Just keep that in mind when designing a house with that kind of roof. In the Cathedrals, they used butresses to withstand the outward force of the roof. The outward force is in addition to the downward force of the weight of the roof.

Richard

http://www.fergusonsculpture.com

sparks

Dec 26, 2002, 8:15 PM

Post #4 of 5 (1155 views)

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Re: [raferguson] Look what Steve in San Miguel has been up to!

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That reminds me of the Belize pictures I have that I really should scan. I spent a few weeks just outside of Corozol Town in a little "retirement community" where people buy lots and build whatever they want. This one guy came up with a moulded wall system (looks like bricks) ... but had no posts (columns). Lots of rebar, tied together well between the walls, walls about 8 inches thick. Like most around there he decided on a pitched roof with not enough internal support walls. After removing all the poles the result was bowed walls and lots of cement on the floor. He just walked away from the whole thing ... including a beautiful piece of property. The garage was even starting to go when I was there ... and much smaller scale.

No reflection on the above style but you better know your physics

Gary sculptari

Dec 27, 2002, 5:42 PM

Post #5 of 5 (1155 views)

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Re: [raferguson] Look what Steve in San Miguel has been up to!

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I don't know if this is relevant, but here is another concrete website that I often refer people too:

http://www.makersgallery.com/concrete/index.html

A lot of technical information for the do it yourselfer and the imaginative- who I agree should be very careful playing around with many tons of material.