Monastery Arched Door - Rodent On Porch

Adobe artisans of Egypt, who have practiced their craft for centuries, have a time-honored saying about the masonry arch: "If you understand the principles of the arch, you can build anything."
One of the oldest construction elements, the masonry arch, is the perfect example of form following function. Known for simplicity, elegance and their ability to span areas and support loads, masonry arches are one of the most flexible and basic of all design elements. There are several compelling reasons why masonry contractors should give serious thought to making greater use of these marvels: ease of construction, improved building performance and overall project savings.
The historical success of arches is based on an understanding of the structural advantage — the use of compression in dealing with loads and stresses. The aesthetic appeal is based on flexibility related to form. A masonry arch can take on a variety of shapes, all the while responding to balance, proportion and scale in design. A masonry arch's great resistance to compression makes it the most efficient structural element in dealing with spanning openings.
Arches have been historically constructed with unreinforced masonry. In an unreinforced state, the masonry arch has been used to span various size openings and across considerable lengths. Due to the curvature characteristics of the arch design, it provides great structural efficiency that successfully transfers vertical loads and vertical forces. Because of masonry's compressive strength, masonry arches can support considerable load.

"Ask a brick what it wants to be, it will say an arch!" — Louis Kahn

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