Arches and Vaults

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We have included arches and vaults in the same section because they are similar in design. In fact, as shown in figure C, a vault is nothing more than arches laid next to one another. The Romans used vaults in tombs, tunnels, sewers, and bath houses. Arches were used almost everywhere, and could be found on and in almost any building. Figure A shows the construction of a basic arch. Figure B shows the construction of a two vault tunnel, while D and E are both diagrams of various types of vaults used by the Romans. Vaults were largely developed by the Romans, but forms of arches have been around since the dawn of mankind. Babylonians, Egyptians, and Greeks all used arches to some degree. However, the Romans were the first to make use of arches on a large scale.

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