Computer Analysis of Non-vaulted Nef Unique System

Ever since Viollet-le-Due began to examine Gothic structural elements using his method of geometrical analysis in the nineteenth century, art and architectural historians and a few engineers have periodically attempted to ascertain the structural advantages of the various characteristic features of Gothic architecture. In none of these studies, however, has the way forces work within the lightweight and spacious masonry Gothic buildings been precisely interpreted. The approach taken by art and architectural historians has therefore tended to be primarily descriptive and to be based on intuitive assumptions. This study intend to analyze the Gothic non-vaulted nef unique(aisleless) structures of Lower Languedoc which has never been scientifically tested, and to provide as comprehensive an explanation as possible of the way in which these non-vaulted buildings work. In order to achieve this goal, this paper Is to examine, by means of finite element analysis. the links between the width of non-vaulted aisleless structures, the configuration of the arches, diaphragm arch, and the buttress. Finite element analysis with a computer provides a more accurate analysis than the methods of analysis that have been heretofore applied to Gothic structures, as well as permits us to visualize the global stress behavior of the structure. Combined with traditional methods of studying historical buildings, therefore, finite element analysis inevitably give us a broader understanding of the processes involved in the design and construction of medieval buildings.