Wall or lintel supports

Stereotomy as a historical construction technique has seen its application mainly as a roofing solution to architectonic spaces composed of walls. The first examples of trapezoidal stereotomy^[1] are found in vaulted tombs and cryptae, evoking natural underground caves. These natural structures feature an abundant abutment – the bedrock – and their architectonic counterparts feature analogous very wide walls of rubble filled spaces. The two dimensional sibling of the vault is the arch found in walls, bridges and aqueducts, where the abutment is continuous along the longitudinal length of the structure. Stability challenges start to appear when the abutment (performed by a simple or buttressed wall) is not strong enough to withstand the horizontal thrusts. This structural need has called for multiple solutions, ranging from tie rods in the top of the abutments, buttresses or flying buttresses, being the most simple solution the thickening of the wall itself.

[1] A stereotomy system in which voussoirs exhibit the traditional keystone shape, a trapezoid.