Mode of Operation of the Vaulted Brick Cellar
1.) Why are vaults so good from a stability point of view?
2.) Why is the climate in a brick vaulted cellar so advantageous?
3.) How do bricks in combination with the vault support ventilation?
Vaults are stable
A vault is defined as an arched closure of a room.
Vaults are self-supporting, i.e. the static forces acting from above are transmitted through the course of the vault into the ground without the need for support by columns.
In brick vault construction every single brick is therefore clamped between skewbacks. When handcrafting a vault on site, a gauge or formwork of wood or steel is necessary, on which, beginning with the first brick, all brick are placed until the last brick is inserted at the top point of the vault. Only when the arch has been completed in this way can the framework underneath be removed.
Thanks to this structural advantage, a vault is able with relatively little reinforcement to absorb considerable forces such as earth cover, traffic and snow loads. It is therefore predestined for use underground. Whole residential settlements have already been constructed as so-called earth shelters. In view of increasing climate change, storms and heat, this form of living will become increasingly interesting.
Vaults are self-supporting, i.e. the static forces acting from above are transmitted through the course of the vault into the ground without the need for support by columns.
In brick vault construction every single brick is therefore clamped between skewbacks. When handcrafting a vault on site, a gauge or formwork of wood or steel is necessary, on which, beginning with the first brick, all brick are placed until the last brick is inserted at the top point of the vault. Only when the arch has been completed in this way can the framework underneath be removed.
Thanks to this structural advantage, a vault is able with relatively little reinforcement to absorb considerable forces such as earth cover, traffic and snow loads. It is therefore predestined for use underground. Whole residential settlements have already been constructed as so-called earth shelters. In view of increasing climate change, storms and heat, this form of living will become increasingly interesting.
Bricks and vaults – the climate pair
When a vaulted cellar is built into the ground, the climate in it reacts with a phase shift and is subject to fewer fluctuations over the year. The deeper the cellar is, the more constant the climate. Climate changes in the atmosphere at the earth's surface in the course of a day between day and night, sun and rain, are "swallowed" almost completely. Of critical importance here is not only the height of the earth cover, but also the capabilities of the brick.
Bricks can store temperatures very well, i.e. they ensure temperature stability in a room. A brick house is therefore pleasantly cool in summer and warm in the cool night.
Better than any other solid building material, brick is not only able due to its high capillary action to absorb moisture, but also to give it off again. In underground cellars it regulates the moisture within narrow confines compared to the outside.
The high air humidity in vaulted cellars does not come, as often assumed, from the surrounding earth, but mainly from the ventilation.
In summer, in particular, humidity values in a cellar can rise to 99% relative humidity when warm air moves into the cool cellar. Since warm air can absorb more moisture than cold air, the relative air humidity rises.
Vice versa, the cellar becomes drier in winter when cold air gets into the then relatively warm cellar.
Bricks can store temperatures very well, i.e. they ensure temperature stability in a room. A brick house is therefore pleasantly cool in summer and warm in the cool night.
Better than any other solid building material, brick is not only able due to its high capillary action to absorb moisture, but also to give it off again. In underground cellars it regulates the moisture within narrow confines compared to the outside.
The high air humidity in vaulted cellars does not come, as often assumed, from the surrounding earth, but mainly from the ventilation.
In summer, in particular, humidity values in a cellar can rise to 99% relative humidity when warm air moves into the cool cellar. Since warm air can absorb more moisture than cold air, the relative air humidity rises.
Vice versa, the cellar becomes drier in winter when cold air gets into the then relatively warm cellar.
Bricks and vaults are fresh-air wonders
In vaults no air is trapped in nooks and crannies. The air can circulate freely. Since warm air rises, air outlet is always provided at the highest point of a vaulted cellar. This naturally also applies to other natural or underground cellars.The rising lighter, warm air always finds its way to the outside.
Due to the chimney effect, fresh cool air is sucked in through the fresh air inlets arranged diagonally at the bottom. Depending on the local situation, this principle works on its own. It is the so-called free or gravity ventilation.
Bricks have a refreshing effect on room climate, shown impressively by a simple test: flowers last longer and smell fresher in clay or ceramic vases than in glass or porcelain. Further, vaulted cellars were in the past plastered with marsh lime because of its antiseptic effect and to prevent mould developing.