- The Pantheon has 8 chapels in the drum. As a result forces are transferred to the
‘piers’ separating the chapels.
- Relieving arches are embedded within the drum which concentrate loads down to the piers.
- Brunelleschi believed that there were imbedded tension rings within the dome (although
there are none)
- Coffering reduces the amount of concrete and weight from the dome.
- Structurally the coffering creates a "ribbing’ system, both horizontal and
vertical.
- Gothic construction is a construction of ‘line’ (ribs)
- Gothic buildings are articulated in form and construction. Mortar not required.
- Roman buildings are monolithic. Mortar unifies/binds the components into a whole.
- Gothic buttressing tended to be insufficient because of lateral loading. The increased
ratio of height to width makes the buildings susceptible to wind forces.
- Pointed arches have less lateral loads than a semi circular arch.
- Arches are inherently unstable until the final brick is put in place
- A dome on the other hand is stable upon completion of each ring.
- When centering is required over deep spans (chasms, rivers), Romans create trusses to
make centering that spanned the opening.
- When applied to conventional buildings, this allowed centering to be created on the
ground and lifted into place. If removed the necessity for centering to be continuously
supported all the way to the ground and permitted construction of vaulting at considerable
heights.
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