Structural System of Maya Vaulted Buildings

Abstract

Ancient Maya vaulted structures are based on the construction principle of corbeling. However, most Maya vaults do not work structurally as horizontal joint vaults. Over more than ten centuries, the Maya developed the stonemasonry technique, designed specialized stone vaults, improved lime mortars, and achieved advanced vaulting solutions that allowed them to roof wider spaces and improve the shape and flatness of the inside surfaces. Using field data from 200 vaulted buildings from the Maya Lowlands, this paper analyzes the geometric and formal variables that determine the structural design of this architecture.