Dry self-balanced vaulting technology

Starting from the existing historical examples, considering structural and stability principles, the research has been developed within the context of form-finding. To find practical and sustainable solutions that could be relevant to build masonry shells the research has focused on the study of self-balancing dry technology. To pursue this, the form-find has not been applied on the whole shape but just to the masonry blocks geometry. Historical self-balanced building technologies, above all the cross-herringbone method, constitute precious references to begin the search of a self-balanced constructive method. This document provides some indications on how it is possible defining a constructive self-balancing method and, even though the research is still being held, here it is reported the results achieved, the method and principles assumed. In the case study assumed, it has been evaluated a hemispherical dome thus the form-finding process it has been applied to define masonry pattern Structural and geometrical properties are the features which have led to search the masonry pattern. Surely, nowadays technologies as laser cutting or 3D printing allow building easier a wide variety of form-found shape, but these technologies even allow to increase productivity during the stage of prototyping.