Keywords: reinforced brickwork, gaussian vaults, elastic instability, finite element, Dieste, catenary arch.

The Uruguayan engineer Eladio Dieste (1917-2000) developed an innovative form of construction for wide span roof structures. Used extensively in South America these structures are known as Gaussian vaults because of their doubly curved surfaces. Their geometry is based on the catenary and in this manner mainly axial compressive forces develop due to self-weight. As a consequence, the vaults can be usually constructed with only a single layer of clay units, resulting in economic, efficient and visually dramatic roofs. The vaults have generally quite low rises (span/10) and this, coupled with their relative thinness, means that buckling is the likely mode of failure.

Dieste's construction techniques and structural analysis methods are assessed in this work. In the design of doubly curved roofs he had to evaluate the safety degree of catenary arches against buckling. He used an iterative mathematical procedure and he managed to formulate the safety degree into a series of very useful graphs.

Dieste's methods are compared with modern analytical tools. To this scope, a study of one of his most ambitious projects, the JHO Warehouse at the Montevideo Port (spanning just under 50 metres) is performed. The roof consists of a series of 14 Gaussian vaults, which are left discontinuous at their edges in order to let light and ventilation into the building. His theoretical method is first used to define the critical buckling load of a typical shell unit. Consequently, a Finite Element (FE) model of the shell is generated. The analysis considers both elastic deformations under working load and ultimate failure mode due to buckling.

A high degree of safety results and good agreement is observed between both methods. This ways, Dieste's method and assumptions have been validated, while equally importantly the strengths of his design have been highlighted.

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