Oh my, this Catalan vault is quite the project. I knew it would be labor intensive, but I had no idea the issues I’d have on the corners. Should have stuck with a barrel vault. Guastavino, I am not. Overall, there is about a 40-45% rise, so close to a perfect hemisphere of 50%. Spanning 11 feet with a 4.5 foot rise.
The scaffolding is up and usable, but needs some plywood decks on it.
The corners are so labor intensive, 3-4 tiles must be modified for each corner per row.
I figure 40 more manhours then I have to put on the coping stones around the shed, and then design a glorious Gothic door.
Found a very detailed plan of how catalan vaults were built in Great Britain, including tips and tricks that I really wish I knew before I started. If anyone out there wants to try their hand, follow this advice:
Construction of Catalan Vaults Thesis
Lessons I’ll be applying:
- Cover working edge with tarp to keep it moister
- With Satillo tile, like AAC, they have to be very damp to get a good bond.
- Do 3 courses at once to see the curvature, and because the course below will already be moist