ARCHES AND ITS TYPES

A BELL ARCH IS A SEMICIRCULAR
ARCH, OFTEN CARVED FROM
ONE PIECE OF STONE, WHICH
RESTS ON TWO ROUNDED
CORBELS RESULTING IN
A SHAPE SOMEWHAT SIMILAR
TO A BELL. A BELL ARCH CAN
ALSO BE CARVED FROM ONE
PEICE OF
STONE TO RESEMBLE A BELL
Bell arch
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
• IT IS FIRST SEEN UNDER ROMAN ARCHITECTUREAND THEIR
IMPROVEMENTS IN THE USE OFCONCRETE AND BRICKS
FACILITATED THE BUILDING OF MANY AQUEDUCTS
THROUGHOUT THE EMPIRE.
• E.G- AQUEDUCT OF SEGOVIAAND THE ELEVEN AQUEDUCTS
IN ROME ITSELF.
• IT WAS ALSO FOUND IN FIREPLACES WHERE ITS CLOSE
RELATION TO THE CORBELLED HOOD PROJECTION BECOMES
EVIDENT PRODUCED NUMEROUS BRIDGES.
• IT PROBABLY FIRST OCCURS IN THE LOOPS OF THE BARBICAN
INA FORM IDENTICAL TO CAERNAVON CASTLE, AND
SUBSEQUENTLY IN MULTIPLICITY OF OTHER NARROW LIGHTS
THROUGHOUT THE CASTLE IN WORK UP UNTIL THE 19TH
CENTURY.

• NAME OF THE ARCH- BELL
ARCH
• NAME OF THE BUILDING-:
OLD BOYS LODGE
• LOCATION OF THE ARCH-:
IN THE CORRIDOR TOWARDS
PAVILLION SIDE
STEP OF CONSTRUCTION:
• O IS TAKEN AS THE CENTRE TO DRAW A
CIRCLE.
• THIS CIRCLE FORMS THE ABOVE PART OF
THE ARCH.
• AFTER THAT IT IS SHOULDERED.

OGEE FOUR-CENTERED ARCH
• A STYLE OF ARCH USED PRIMARILY
IN BRITAIN DURING THE 14TH
CENTURY.
• THIS OGEE IS CHARACTERISED BY A
FOUR-CENTRED DESIGN; TWO
CENTRES OUTSIDE THE ARCH AND
TWO INSIDE, PRODUCING A
SINUOUS, COMPOUND CURVE,
PART CONVEX AND PART
CONCAVE.
• OGEE FOUR CENTERED ARCH
ORIGINED AT THE SAME TIME AS
THAT OF OGEE THREE CENTERED
ARCH.
• OGEE FOUR CENTEREDARCHES
WERE A FEATURE OF ENGLISH
GOTHIC ARCHITECTURE IN THE
LATER THIRTEENTH CENTURY
SIMILAR TO OGEE FOUR CENTERED
ARCH.
• IN PRACTICE THIS PRODUCES A VAGUELY ORIENTAL ARCH,
NARROWING TO A POINT AT THE TOP.
THE OGEE CURVE IS CREATED USING
BY THE UNION OF A CONCAVE AND A
CONVEX ARCH.THE OGEE ARCH IS
GOTHIC IN DESIGN.

1. DRAW SPAN OF THE ARCH. DIVIDE IT
INTO 3 PARTS.
2. TAKING THE 2ND AND THE 3RD POINTS AS
CENTRE, DRAW ARCS AS MARKED IN
GREEN DOTTED LINE.
3. NOW, DRAW TWO 60 ANGLES FROM
C AND GET THE POINTS E AND F.
• NAME OF THE ARCH-: OGEE FOUR-
CENTERED ARCH
REGISTRAR OFFICE, AMU
• LOCATION OF THE ARCH-:
CONTROLLER OFFICE
4. TAKING E AS THE CENTRE AND EP AS THE RADIUS, DRAW
ARCS. REPEAT THE SAME WITH F AS THE CENTRE. YOU
WILL GET D, CONSTRUCTED IS THREE CENTERED OGEE
ARCH.

OGEE THREE-CENTERED ARCH
• A STYLE OF ARCH USED PRIMARILY
IN BRITAIN DURING THE 14TH
CENTURY.
• THIS OGEE ARCH IS CHARACTERISED
BY A THREE-CENTRED DESIGN; TWO
CENTRES OUTSIDE THE ARCH AND
ONE INSIDE, PRODUCING A
SINUOUS, COMPOUND CURVE, PART
CONVEX AND PART CONCAVE.
• IN ARCHITECTURE, THE PRINCIPAL
USE OF THE TERM IS TO DESCRIBE
AN ARCH COMPOSED OF TWO
OGEES, MIRRORED LEFT-TO-RIGHT
AND MEETING AT AN APEX.
• OGEE ARCHES WERE A FEATURE
OF ENGLISH GOTHIC
ARCHITECTURE IN THE LATER
THIRTEENTH CENTURY.
• IN PRACTICE THIS PRODUCES A VAGUELY ORIENTAL
ARCH, NARROWING TO A POINT AT THE TOP.

• USING RULER AND COMPASSES,
CONSTRUCT A SEMI-CIRCLE ON A
HORIZONTAL SPAN, AB.
• TAKING C AS THE CENTRE AND AC AS THE
RADIUS DRAW A SEMICIRCLE WHERE
AC_QCPC.
• NOW, DRAW TWO 60 ANGLES FROM
C AND DRAW PERPENDICULAR LINES
FROM X AND Y TO GET THE POINTS E
AND F RESP.
• NAME OF THE ARCH-: OGEE
THREE CENTERED ARCH
ENGINEERING HALL FOR GIRLS, AMU
• LOCATION OF THE ARCH-: ON
THE FACÇADE OF THE BUILDING
Q
• TAKING E AS THE CENTRE AND EP AS THE RADIUS, DRAW ARCS.
REPEAT THE SAME WITH F AS THE CENTRE AND GET D,
CONSTRUCTED IS THREE CENTERED OGEE ARCH.

POINTED MULTIFOIL ARCH
THE ARCH IS AN AMALGATION OF TWO TYPES
POINTED ARCH MULTIFOIL ARCH
A POINTED ARCH IS WITH A POINTED APEX AND A
MULTIFOIL WITH A NUMBER OF FOILS OR LEAVES.
THE CONCEPT OF POINTED MULTIFOIL ARCH
CAME FROM
TWO DIFFERENT ARCHES
• POINTED ARCH
• MULTIFOIL ARCH THE USE OF POINTED ARCH WAS STARTED IN
6TH CENTURY IN AL AQSA MOSQUE (780 AD,EUROPE) , UKHAIDUR
PALACE (778 AD, IRAQ) RAMLAH CISTERN (789 AD) AND JUSSAQ
AL KHAQANI PALACE (836 AD) . WHEREAS IN ORDER TO COPE UP
WITH RISING HEIGHTS IN THE GREAT MOSQUE OF CORDOBA , AN
MPRESSIVE METHOD CONSISTING OF INTERSECTCTING
ARCHES;MULTFOIL ARCH WAS INTRODUCED IN YEAR 987 AD.
LATER THE TWO TECHNIQUES WERE AMALGAMATEDTO GIVE
WHAT WE KNOW AS POINTED MULTIFOIL ARCH.

NAME OF THE BUILDING – S.S HALL
LOCATION OF THE ARCH – ON THE TERRACE OF THE
FAMOUS STRACHEY HALL.
.
STEPS TO construction
• A SEMI CIRCLE OR A LANCET ARCH IS
DRAWN FIRST
• ON EQUAL INTERSEPTS,POINTS ARE
MARKED.
• SEMI CIRCLE IS DRAWN ON THESE POINTS
• FOR THE POINTED APPEARENCE ,OGEE
THREE
• CENTERED OR FOUR CENTERED ARCH
TECHNIQUE
• IS USED.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -SPAN = 7O CM
---------------------RISE=30CM
DEPTH =15 CM

SHOULDERED ARCH
A SPANNING MEMBER CONSISTING OF A STRAIGHT
LINTEL CARRIED ON CORBELS PROJECTING INTO THE
OPENING AND USU. CUT INTO HOLLOW CURVES UNDER
THEIR PROJECTING ENDS.
THE HISTORY OF THIS ARCH HAS FADED AND IT IS
NOT KNOWN AS TO WHEN AND WHERE WAS
THIS ARCH FIRST USED. HOWEVER IT IS WAS
FREQUENTLY USED SINCE 13TH AND 14TH
CENTURIES THUS CAN BE SAID THAT THE ARCH
MARKED ITS UPHEAVAL IN THE LATE 12TH
CENTURY.
ALSO KNOWN AS CAERNAVON ARCH DUE TO ITS
FREQUENT USE IN THE CAERNAVON CASTLE.

NAME OF BUILDING: PLANT PATHOLOGY, IN THE
VICINITY OF ZOOLOGICAL DEPT. , A.M.U.
LOCATION OF ARCH IN THE BUILDING : OVER THE
TWO ENTRANCE TO THE BUILDING WITH THE REPITION
IN THE CORRIDOR.
STEPS OF CONSTRUCTION :
--------------------------------------------
A
SPAN = 144 cm
BAB=115 cm
C1 C2
RISE=27CM
• DIVIDE THE SPAN INTO
FOUR PARTS
• TAKE POINTS C1 AND
C2 TO LEFT AND RIGHT
SIDE OF THE SUPPORT, TO
DRAW AN ARC ON BOTH
SIDE AT RIGHT ANGLE.
• OFFEST FROM POINT A AND
DRAW A LINE PARALLEL TO
SPRINGING LINE.

JACK ARCH
IT IS A STRUCTURAL ELEMENT IN MASONRY
CONSTRUCTION THAT PROVIDES SUPPORT AT OPENINGS
IN THE MASONRY , OTHER NAMES ARE FLAT ARCH AND
STRAIGHT ARCH. UNLIKE OTHERS, THEY ARE NOT
SEMICIRCULAR BUT FLAT AND ARE USED UNDER THE
SAME CIRCUMSTANCES AS LINTELS.
• IN THE PERIOD OF 18TH CENTURY , JACK ARCH WAS
DISCOVERED IN THE RUINS OF BABYLONIA.
ARCHEOLOGISTS ESTIMATE THAT THE ARCH WAS
CONSTRUCTED ABOUT THE YEAR 1400 B.C BUILT OF
WELL-BAKED ,CIGAR SHAPED BRICKS AND LAID WITH
CLAY MORTAR , THIS ARCH IS PROBABLY THE OLDEST
KNOWN .
• ACCORDING TO HILTON 1997 , JACK ARCH
CONSTRUCTION ORIGINATED IN U.K IN THE EARLY PART
OF THE 19TH CENTURY.THE RECORDED STRUCTURE WAS
BUILT IN 1801. THIS FORM OF CONSTRUCTION ALLOWED
SHORT TO MEDIUM SPAN STRUCTURE TO BE BUILT WITH
A MUCH SHALLOWER DEPTH THA WITH MASONRY.

NAME OF BUILDING: BIOCHEMISTRY DEPARTMENT
LOCATION OF ARCH IN THE BUILDING : OVER THE
LINTEL OF THE DOOR IN THE BUILDING
STEPS OF CONSTRUCTION :
•DRAW A LINE PASSING THROUGH
THE CENTRE OF SPRINGING LINE,
THIS LINE REPRESENTS THE CENTRE OF THE ARCHES KEY AND
DIVIDE THE ARCH INTO TWO SYMMETRICAL HALVES.
• FROM C , MAKE THE LINES OF VOUSSOIRS ACCORDING THE
DESIRED THICKNESS OF VOUSSOIRS.
---------------------------------------------SPAN = 90 CM
----------------------------------------
C
DEPTH=460 CM

SEGMENTAL ARCH
SEGMENTAL ARCH IS AN ARCH IN WHICH THE CURVE IS LESS
THAN SEMICIRCULAR SEGMENT OF A CIRCLE. A SHALLOW ARCH ,
LESS THAN A SEMICIRCLE. WHEN A SEGMENTAL ARCH IS
DESIGNED PROPERLY, IT CAN BE STRUCTURALLY VERY
IMPORTANT.
• IN THE LATE MIDDLE AGES THE SEGMETAL ARCH WAS
INTRODUCED.
• A CONCEPTUAL BREAKTHROUGH OCCURRED WHEN A
CHINESE ENGINEER WAS THE FIRST TO REALISZE THAT AN RCH
DID NOT HAVE TO BE SEMICIRCULAR. A BRIDGE COULD BE
BUILT WHICH WAS BASED NOT ON THE TRDITIONAL
SEMICIRCLE ARCH BUT ON WHAT IS KNOWN AS SEGMENTAL
ARCH.
• THE GREAT STONE BRIDGE SPANNING THE RIVER CHIAO SHUI
IS THE WORLD’S FIRST SEGMENTAL ARCH BRIDGE.
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND :
• THE SEGMENTAL ARCH WAS FIRST BUILT BY
THE ROMANS WHO REALISED THAT AN ARCH
IN A BRIDGE DID NOT HAVE TO BE
SEMICIRCLE, SUCH AS IN ALCONETAR BRIDGE
OR PONTE SAN LORENZO.
• THEY WERE ALSO ROUTINELY USED IN HOUSE
CONSTRUCTION AS IN OSTIA ANTICA.

NAME OF THE BUIDING:
SIR SYED HOUSE
LOCATION OF THE ARCH:
AT THE BACKSIDE VERANDAH OF THE S. S HOUSE.
• THE SEGMENTAL ARCH IS SO CALLED BECAUSE IT FORMS A
SEGMENT OF CIRCLE.
• DRAWING OF SEGMENTAL ARCH:
• DRAW OUT THE SPING LINE AND A PERPINDICULAR HEIGHT
LINE AT THE SPRINGLINE’S MIDPOINT.
• DRAW A CHORD FROM A TO POINT B.
• DRAW A PERPINDICULAR LINE FROM THE MIDPOINT OF THE
LINE AB THAT EXTENDS BELOW THE CENTRE OF THE SPRIGLINE.
• FIND POINT D BY EXTENDING THE HEIGHT LINE BELOW THE
SPRING LINE.

DROP ARCH
• THE DROP ARCH HAS TWO CENTRES AND RADII LESS THAN THE
SPAN. IF THE RADII AND CENTRES ARE EQUAL TO THE SPAN
THEY ARE CALLED EQUILATERAL ARCH.
• IT WAS FIRST CONSTRUCTED IN THE GOTHIC PERIOD.
• IT WAS FOUNDED IN ENGLAND IN FIRST HALF OF 16TH CENTURY
IN THE TUDOR MODIFICATION OF GOTHIC ARCH.
• IN OBLONG VAULTING COMPARTEMEMTS OF THE LATE GOTHIC
VAULTS, WHICH OFTENHAD WINDOWS IN THE NAVE WALL
CROWNED WITH POINED ARCHES OF EQUILATERAL OR, IN
EARLY TUDOR TIMES, EVEN OF THE DROP ARCH FORM,THE
DIAGONAL AND TRANVERSE RIBS HAD TO BE SRUCK FROM
FOUR CENTRES IN ORDER TO ACCOMMODATE THEIR HEIGHT TO
THAT OF THE WNDOW.
• DROP ARCH IS A POINTED ARCH
HAVING RADII OF LENGTH LESS THAN
THE SPAN.
• IT IS ALSO CALLED AS SURBASED
ARCH WHICH IS AN ARCH HAVING A
RISE OF LESS THAN HALF ITS SPAN.

• NAME OF BUILDING:
• SIR SYED HALL
• LOCATION OF THE ARCH:
• WINDOWS OF S.S HALL
• A DROP ARCH OR GOTHIC ARCH CAN BE SET OUT FROM AN
EQUILATERAL TRIANGLE.
• THE CURVES ARE TAKEN AS AN ARC ON EITHER SIDE, MEETING
WITH A POINT AT THE TOP.
• IN THIS GEOMETRY THE KEYSTONE IS CONCAVE, WITH AN
INTENDED POINT AT THE BASE, UNLESS IT IS WITTED AS A
WEDGE COMING DOWN TO A POINT AT THE TOP OF THE ARCH.
• THE ARCH GEOMETRY CAN BE VARIED BY USING A TALLER OR
SHORTER TRIANGLE FOR A TALLER ARCH OR SQUAT.
• THE LOCATION OF THE CENTRE OF THE RADIUS FOR THE
VOUSSOIR JOINTS IS MOVED TO SUIT THE CURVE.
• THE RADIAL LINES ARE GENERATED ON THE FAR SIDE OF THE
ARCH OPENING.
• DROP ARCH HAS ITS RADIUS SHORTER THAN THE ARCH SPAN. IT
FOLLOWS ASHAPE GENERATED BY CIRCLES HALF THE ARCH
WIDTH, MEETING AN RC FOR THE CENTRE PORTION, WHICH
STEMS FROM A COMMON TANGENT WITH THE SMALLER CIRCLE
ON EACH SIDE.

LANCET ARCH
• ONE OF THE DEFINING CHARACTERISTICS OF GOTHIC
ARCHITECTURE IS THE POINTED. ARCHES OF A SIMILAR
TYPE WERE USED IN THE NEAR EAST IN PRE-ISLAMIC AS
WELL AS ISLAMIC ARCHITECTURE BEFORE THEY WERE
STRUCTURALLY EMPLOYED IN MEDIEVAL
ARCHITECTURE. IT IS THOUGHT BY SOME
ARCHITECTURAL HISTORIANS THAT THIS WAS THE
INSPIRATION FOR THE USE OF THE POINTED ARCH IN
FRANCE, IN OTHERWISE ROMANESQUE BUILDINGS.
• POINTED ARCHES WERE MOST OFTEN USED BY
BUILDERS OF GOTHIC-STYLE ARCHITECTURE. THE
ADVANTAGE TO USING A POINTED ARCH, RATHER
THAN A CIRCULAR ARCH, IS THAT THE ARCH ACTION IN
A POINTED ARCH PRODUCES LESS THRUST AT THE
BASE. THIS INNOVATION ALLOWED FOR TALLER AND
MORE CLOSELY SPACED OPENINGS, TYPICAL OF GOTHIC
ARCHITECTURE.

Step of CONSTRUCTION
1. D C IS THE GIVEN SPAN.
2. BISECT DC IN E, MAKE CB
AND DA EQUAL TO EC OR
ED.
3. B AS CENTRE WITH DB AS
RADIUS, DESCRIBE THE
ARC DF.
4. A AS CENTRE, DESCRIBE
THE ARC CF, AND THE
ARCH IS COMPLETE.
NAME OF THE BUILDING:
THEOLOGY DEPARTMENT ,AMU
LOCATION :
IN THE WINDOW OF MOSQUE

POINTED HORSESHOE ARCH
.
POINTED HORSE SHOE ARCH WAS SOMETIME USED IN
STICK STYLE & QUEEN ANNE STYLE BUILDINGS. BOTH
ARE SINGLE STORY BUILDINGS WITH PORCHES
SURROUNDING THEM. IT IS ALSO KNOWN AS
MOORISH ARCH. AND EMBLEMATIC OF ISLAMIC
ARCHITECTURE. IT WAS FROM PRE-ISLAMIC SYRIA
FORM IN FOURTH CENTURY. IT WAS IN VISIGOTHIC
SPAIN & NORTH AFRICA. THESE ARCHES SEEM TO
BILLOW OUT LIKE SAILS BLOWN BY THE WIND,& THEY
CONTRIBUTE GREATLY TO THE LIGHT & AIRY EFFECT OF
THE INTERIORS. THE RIBS WITH POINTED ARCH
BECAME THE FUNDAMENTAL STRUCTURE ELEMENTS
OF A NEW & REVOLUTIONARY ARCHITECTURE SYSTEM.
POINTED ARCHES ARE MADE BY
FORMING EACH SIDE OF THE ARCH
FROM A DIFFERENT CENTRE POINT
,THE GREATER THE DISTANCE BW
THE TWO POINTS THE SHARPER THE
POINT

STEPS OF CONSTRUCTION:-
•CONSTRUCT THE COLUMN OF HEIGHT 200CM OR
MORE .
•COLUMN INCLUDE THE BASE, THE SHAFT & THE
CAPITAL WHICH MUST BE BEAUTIFULLY CARVED.
•THE WIDTH OF THE SHAFT & BASE SHOULD BE 30CM
& 50CM IF THE HEIGHT OF COLUMN IS 200CM.
•THE SPAN BETWEEN THE TWO COLUMNS IS 160CM.
•CONSTRUCT A RECTANGLE OF 40X80CM OVER THE
SPAN OF TWO COLUMNS ON THE SCALE OF 1:20, AS
THE CENTRE'S C1 & C2.
•CONSTRUCT AN ARC FROM THE UPPER CENTRE C1
ON THE OPPOSITE COLUMN & SAME AS C2.
•BOTH ARCHES MEET AT A COMMON POINT AT THE
APEX.
•HENCE POINT HORSE SHOE CONTRUCT
• Name of the building:
SS HALL
• LOCATION:- SIR SYED HALL

RELIEVING ARCH
HISTORICA BACKGROUND
THE EARLIEST EXAMPLE IS FOUND IN
THE GREAT PYRAMID IN THE
ENTRANCE PASSAGE TO THE
TOMB.IT CONSISTED OF TWO
STONES RESTING ONE AGAINST THE
OTHER ..
AN ARCH BUILT OVER A LINTEL
TO BDISTRIBUTE THE WEIGHT
OF THE WALL ABOVE.
OTHER EXAMPLE ARE IN GATE MYCENAE,GREECE WHERE THE
STONES LAID IN HORIZONTAL COURSES ONE PROJECTING OVER
THE OTHER LEFT A TRIANGULAR HOLLOW SPACE ABOVE A LINTEL

STEPS OF CONSTRUCTION
•CONSTRUCT THE COLUMN OF HEIGHT 200CM OR MORE .IT
INCLUDE THE BASE, THE SHAFT & THE CAPITAL .
•THE WIDTH OF THE SHAFT SHOULD BE 30CM.
•THE SPAN BETWEEN THE TWO COLUMNS IS 160CM.
•CONSTRUCT A FLAT ARCH ON THESE TWO COLUMNS THAT
ACTS LIKE A LINTEL OVER IT.
•THEN AGAIN CONTRUCT ANY ARCH OVER THE FLAT ARCH SO
THAT THE LOAD CAN BE DISTRIBUTED OVER THE FLAT ARCH
OR A LINTEL.AND THIS IS THE FUNCTION OF A RELIEVING
ARCH.THEN,
•CONSTRUCT A RECTANGLE OF 40X80CM OVER THE SPAN OF
TWO COLUMNS ON THE SCALE OF 1:20, AS THE CENTRE'S C1 &
C2.
•CONSTRUCT AN ARC FROM THE UPPER CENTRE C1 ON THE
OPPOSITE COLUMN & SAME AS C2.
•BOTH ARCHES MEET AT A COMMON POINT AT THE KEY
STONE.
Name of the building:
K.A NIZAMI QURANIC CENTER
LOCATION:- QURANIC CENTRE

ONE OF THE EARLIEST FLAT ARCH IS TO BE SEEN AT THE DEIR-AL-
ZAFARAN MONASTERY IN TURKEY NEAR MARDIN.
THE FLOOR OF THE CHAPEL AND THE ROOF OF THE CRYPT IS
FORMED FROM A FLAT ARCH AND IS SAID TO HAVE BEEN
CONSTRUCTED IN THE CENTURIES B.C. THE SO CALLED FLAT ARCH
CONCRETE FLOOR SYSTEM THAT WAS COMMONLY USED TO
ENCASE SHORT SPAN STEEL BEAM OR STRINGER BRIDGES IN NEW
HAMPSHIRE DURING THE 1ST HALF OF THE 20TH CENTURY HAS ITS
ORIGIN IN MID TO LATE 19TH CENTURY FIREPROOF MILL AND
FACTORY CONSTRUCTION. DURING THE
1870S AND PERHAPS EARLIER VARIOUS TYPES OF FLAT ARCH
MASONRY FLOOR SYSTEMS INCORPORATING I BEAMS &
CONCRETE WERE EMPLOYED FOR FIREPROOF BUILDING &
FACTORY CONSTRUCTION. THE ARCHES WERE FORMED WITH
FLAT OR CORRUGATED SHEET METAL BRICK OR WOOD FORM
WORK.
FLAT ARCH SO NAMED AS THE APPARENT
SHAPE OF THE ARCH IS FLAT. THEY ARE
USED OVER OPENING OF DOOR OR
WINDOW. UNDER SAME CIRCUMSTANCES
AS LINTELS THEY ARE COMPOSED OF
INDIVIDUAL MASONRY ELEMENTS CUT OR
FORMED INTO A WEDGE SHAPE THE FLAT
ARCH IS FOUND COMPARATIVELY WEAK
AND THEY ARE USED ONLY FOR LIGHT
LOADS AND FOR SPANS UP TO 1.50M.
Flat Arch

•DRAW A HORIZONTAL LINE FROM SIDE TO SIDE WHICH IS KNOWN
AS SPRINGING LINE.
•BELOW THIS DRAW THE RECTANGULAR OPENING WHICH THE ARCH
WILL SPAN.
•FROM THE CENTRE OF THIS SPRINGING LINE IS DRAWN A VERTICAL
LINE (CENTRE LINE). THIS LINE REPRESENTS THE CENTRE OF ARCH’S
KEY & DIVIDES THE ARCH INTO TWO SYMMETRICAL HALVES.
•IT IS IMPORTANT TO LABEL THESE LINES AS DURING DRAWING THE
NUMBER OF PARALLEL LINES CAN BE CONFUSING ESPECIALLY IF
ERRORS NECESSITATE REDRAWING.
•DETERMINING THE POINT OF INTERSECTION OF THE CENTRE LINE
IS OF UTMOST IMPORTANCE TO ENSURE THE EXTRADOS IS THE
RIGHT LENGTH. THIS IS DONE BY MAKING A LINE INCLINED ON THE
SPRINGING LINE AT AN ANGLE OF 60 DEGREE EXTENDING BOTH THE
SIDES SO THAT SKEWBACK IS AT AN ANGLE OF 10 DEGREE. THUS AN
EQUILATERAL TRIANGLE IS FORMED WITH ONE SIDE AS
INTRADOS.THE LENGTH OF EXTRADOS SO OBTAINED IS VERY
IMPORTANT TO ACCOMMODATE ALL THE VOISSOIRS & THE KEY.
•FROM THIS CENTRE POINT THE COURSE IS DIVIDED INTO EQUAL
NUMBER OF VOISSOIRS & THE KEY. HENCE FLAT ARCH IS DRAWN.
LOCATION
QURANIC CENTRE
ALIGARH MUSLIM UNIVERSITY
ALIGARH

ELLIPTICAL ARCH
IT MAY BE DOUBTED THAT WHETHER ANY TRUE
ELLIPTICAL ARCHES EVER OCCUR OTHERWISE THAN
ACCIDENTLY. THE ORIGIN OF THE ARCH IS NOT
KNOWN. IT WAS LARGELY USED BY THE ASSYRIANS
AND BY THE EGYPTIANS AS WELL, AT A VERY EARLY
DATE: BUT FOR SOME REASON THEY DID NOT
INTRODUCE UT INTO THEIR GREATEST WORKS, THE
PRACTICAL INTRODUCTION AND USE OF THE ARCH
WAS DUE TO THE ROMANS.

• NAME OF THE BUILDING : FACULTY OF THEOLOGY, AMU
•LOCATION : IN PORTICO
SPAN-3200
1040
360
INRADOS
EXTRADOS
KEYSTONE
SPRINGING POINT SPRINGING LINE
STEP OF CONSTRUCTION
• FIRSTLY, DRAW A SPRINGING LINE.
• DIVIDE IT INTO FOUR EQUAL PARTS.
• WITH THE POINTS 2 AND 4 AS
CENTER, DRAW A ARC WITH RADIUS
EQUAL TO S/4 (S = SPAN)
• DRAW TWO LINES AT 45 DEGREE FROM THE POINT 2 AND 4. THE
POINT WHERE THEY INTERSECT IS THE CENTER-3.
• NOW FROM THIS CENTER-3( WITH RADIUS EQUAL TO R IN FIG.)
JOIN THE TWO PREVIOUS ARCS.
• FOLLOW SAME WITH OTHER END OF BOTH PIERS

BULLSEYE ARCH
THEATRES AS OPENINGS DATING IT BACK TO 4TH CENTURY C.E. ,
THE OTHER STATES ROMAN BAPTISTERIES AS THE INITIALS
WITH THIS ARCH AS THE FRONT CENTRAL STONE BEARING
ORNAMENTATION WITH DATES AROUND 6TH CENTURY C.E. BUT
BOTH THE IDEAS SUPPORTS ITS INITIALISATION IN ROMAN
ARCHITECTURE.
• DESCRIPTION: IT IS AN ATTRACTIVE FEATURE OF EUROPEAN
ARCHITECTURE AND ID STILL VERY POPULAR. VARIATIONS IN
NUMBER, MATERIAL AND EMBOSS OF KEYSTONES ARE THE
MAIN ORNAMENTAL SCOPES OF THIS ARCH. DIAMETERS OF
THE ARCH MAY BE QUITE LARGE DEPENDING UPON THE
THICKNESS OF THE WALL. IN TYPICAL DOMESTIC SITUATIONS
BETWEEN 700 TO 1000MM. IN MOST OF THE CASES THE
WOULD COME BONDED TO A STEEL CAVITY LINTEL WITH INNER
LEAF FULLY SUPPORTED SIMPLIFYING THE SUPPORT FOR THE
INNER WALL AND FORMING PERFECT FRAME FOR THE
FENESTRATION.
ORIGIN: ROME IN LATE 1ST
MILLENNIUM
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND :
THERE ARE 2
• CONFLICTING NOTIONS FOR THE
HISTORY OF THE BULLSEYE ARCH.
WHILE ONE SCHOOL SAYS THAT THESE
HAVE THEIR DEEPEST ROOTS IN THE

• NAME OF THE BUILDING:
• KENNEDY AUDITORIUM
LOCATION: A.M.U. CAMPUS,
• ALIGARH
• ON PAPER: TAKING A POINT AS
• CENTRE AND DESIRED RADIUS A
• CIRCLE FOR INTRADOS IS DRAWN.
• ANOTHER CIRCLE OF LARGER DIAMETER
• IS DRAWN FOR EXTRADOS.
• VOUISSURES ARE SET IN CONVERGING
• MANNER.
IN PRACTICAL: A CIRCLE IS DRAWN TAKING A
POINT AS CENTRE AND GIVING IT’S RADIUS.
• DIAMETER OF INTRADOS 410 MM.
• DIAMETER OF EXTRADOS= 850MM
• FACE DEPTH=220MM
• NO. OF VOISSOURS USED=30
• NAME OF THE ARCH: BULLSEYE

HORSE SHOE SHAPED ARCH
ORIGIN: PRE-ISLAMIC SYRIA
4TH CENTURY C.E.
IT IS AN EMBLEMATIC ARCH OF ISLAMIC ARCHITECTURE.
THESE WERE INITIALLY CONSTRUCTED IN VISIGOTHIC SPAIN.
IMPORTANT INITIAL STRUCTURES ARE THE BAPTISTERY OF
MAR YA’QUB(ST. JACOB) AT NISIBIN. BUT THE CHARACTERSTIC
FORM OF THIS ARCH EVOLVED IN SPAIN AND NORTH AFRICA.
PRIOR TO THE MUSLIM INVASION OF SPAIN, THE VISIGOTHS
USED THEM AS ONE OF THEIR MAIN ARCHITECTURAL
FEATURES. THE VISIGOTHIC FORM WAS ADOPTED AND
DEVELOPED BY THE UMAYYADS WHO ACCENTUATED THE
CURVATUR OF THE HORSE SHOE AND ADDED THEALTERNATING
COLORS TO ACCENTUATE ITS SHAPE .
• DESCRIPTION: HORSE-SHOE ARCHES CAN TAKE POINTED,
ROUND OR LOBED FORM. IT IS USED AS AN EMBLEM OF
ISLAMIC ARCHITECTURE. IT IS MOST WIDELY USED FOR
ENTRANCE OPENINGS.

NAME OF THE BUILDING:
WEST WING SIR
SYED HALL NORTH
LOCATION: A.M.U.
CAMPUS, ALIGARH
STEP OF construction
A POINT IS TAKEN
ABOVE THE SPRINGING LINE
AND DESIRED RADIUS IS
TAKEN SPANNING THE SPACE
WITH A RADIAL CURVE.
.
NAME OF THE ARCH: HORSE SHOE

EQUILATERAL ARCH
IT IS THOUGHT BYSOME ARCHITECTURAL HISTORIANS
THAT THIS WAS THE INSPIRATION FOR THE USE OF THE POINTED
ARCH IN FRANCE, IN OTHERWISE ROMANESQUEBUILDINGS, AS AT
AUTUN CATHEDRAL.
CONTRARY TO THE DIFFUSIONIST THEORY, IT APPEARS THAT THERE
WAS SIMULTANEOUSLY A STRUCTURAL EVOLUTION TOWARDS THE
POINTED ARCH, FOR THEPURPOSE OF VAULTING
SPACES OF IRREGULAR PLAN, OR TO BRING TRANSVERSE VAULTS TO
THE SAME HEIGHT AS DIAGONAL VAULTS. THIS LATTER OCCURS
ATDURHAM CATHEDRAL IN THE NAVE AISLES IN
1093. POINTED ARCHES ALSO OCCUR EXTENSIVELY IN
ROMANESQUE DECORATIVE BLIND ARCADING, WHERESEMI-
CIRCULAR ARCHES OVERLAP EACH OTHER IN A SIMPLE DECORATIVE
PATTERN,
AND THE POINTS ARE ACCIDENTAL TO THE DESIGN.
THE BASIC GOTHIC ARCH BEGINS SIMPLY
ENOUGH WITH A STRAIGHT, HORIZONTAL
LINE.ONE OF THE DEFINING
CHARACTERISTICS OF GOTHIC
ARCHITECTURE IS THE POINTED OR OGIVAL
ARCH. ARCHES OF A SIMILAR TYPE WERE
USED IN THE NEAREAST IN PREISLAMIC AS
WELL AS ISLAMIC ARCHITECTURE BEFORE
THEY WERE STRUCTURALLY EMPLOYED IN
MEDIEVAL ARCHITECTURE.

LOCATION: QURANIC CENTER, SIR
SYED HOUSE, AMU, ALIGARH
• CONSTRUCT THE BASELINE A-B, AND EXTEND YOUR
COMPASS OUT TO THE EXACT SAME LENGTH.
WITH YOUR COMPASS NEEDLE AT POINT B, CONSTRUCT ARC
A-C.
•WITH YOUR COMPASS NEEDLE AT POINT A, CONSTRUCT ARC
B-C.

TRIANGULAR ARCH
•SIMPLE SINGLE PIECE STONE LAID
TOGETHER.
•THE SPAN IS LIMITED BY THE SIZE OF
THE AVAILABLE MATERIAL.
•FORMED BY TWO LARGE DIAGONAL
STONES THAT MUTUALLY SUPPORT
EACH OTHER TO SPAN AN OPENING.
DRAW THE SPAN OF THE ARCH WITH TWO
PIERS AND CONSTRUCT AN EQUILATERAL
ARCH OVER THE TWO PIERS
AND WIDTH OF THE ARCH BEING THE
SAME AS THE WIDTH OF THE PIERS.

INDICATED BY A PREFIX: TREFOIL—3, QUATREFOIL—4, ETC., AND
MULTIFOIL—MANY.IT WAS IN SAMARRA IN IRAQ THAT THE FIRST
MULTIFOIL ARCH WAS DESIGNED BEFORE PASSING INTO THE REST
OF THE MUSLIM LANDS INCLUDING SPAIN AND SICILY, AND
THEN TO EUROPE. ITS FIRST APPEARANCE WAS IN THE WINDOWS
OF AL-MUTAWAKKIL MOSQUE, BUILT BETWEEN 848 AND 849 IN
SAMARRA. THESE WINDOWS WERE ON THE ENCLOSURE
AND SPANNED BY CINQFOIL ARCHES. THE MULTIFOIL ARCH
REACHED NORTH AFRICA AND ANDALUSIA, WHERE IT BECAME
VERY POPULAR, DECORATING MOST MOORISH BUILDINGS,
ESPECIALLY CORDOBA MOSQUE. FROM THE 10"‘ CENTURY,
EUROPEANS FELL IN LOVE WITH IT AND ADOPTED IT IN THEIR
BUILDINGS, PLANS, AND ARTS. ITS MOST POPULAR USE WAS IN THE
TREFOIL FORM WHICH SUITED THE CONCEPT OF TRINITY IN
CHRISTIANITY. LIKE MANY OF THESE ARCHES, THOSE SEEN IN THE
CORDOBA MOSQUE WERE THE MAIN INSPIRATION.
MULTIFOIL ARCH
A MULTIFOIL ARCH IS A STYLE OF ARCH THAT
WAS AN ARCHITECTURAL ELEMENT IN THE
MOORISH ARCHITECTURE OF AL-
ANDALUS.THE MULTIFOIL ARCH DESIGN WAS
INFLUENCED BY ISLAMIC ART AND
ARCHITECTURE. EXAMPLES ARE FOUND IN
THE MOORISH UMAYYAD
CALIPHATEMOSQUEMAQSURAS AND
ARCADES, THAT ARE LOCATED IN PRESENT
DAY SPAIN.THE TERM IS FRENCH, "FOIL"
MEANS "LEAF." THE NUMBER OF FOILS
INVOLVED IS

LOCATION
LEFT SIDE ENTRANCE GATE NEAR UNIVERSITY CIRCLE.
•DRAW THE PRIMARY ARCH ON WHICH MULTIFOIL HAS TO BE
CONSTRUCTED.
•DRAW AN ARC CONCENTRIC TO THE INTRADOS INSIDE THE ARCH.
MARK THE NO OF POINTS AT EQUAL INTERVALS EQUAL TO THE NO.
OF FOILS TO BE CONSTRUCTED.
•THEN SEMICIRCULAR ARC IS DRAWN OF RADIUS EXACTLY HALF THE
DISTANCE B/W TWO POINTS AND MULTI FOILS ARE CONSTRUCTED.

ALSO KNOWN AS THE ROMAN ARCH, THE SEMICIRCULAR ARCH
FORMS A HALF CIRCLE AND IS A MAJOR FEATURE OF ALL ROMAN
ARCHITECTURE. A STRONG STRUCTURE, THIS ARCH IS OFTEN
FOUND IN BRIDGES AND AQUEDUCTS. IT APPEARS A SIMPLE ARCH
TO MANUFACTURE, AS EACH VOUSSOIR IS IDENTICAL IN
TAPER TO ITS NEIGHBOUR.
SEMICIRCULAR ARCHES
AS THE NAME IMPLIES THIS
TYPE OF ARCH IS IN THE
SHAPE OF A SEMI CIRCLE.
ANY LOADING PLACED UPON
THE WALLING ABOVE THE
ARCH WILL BE TRANSFERRED
DOWN THROUGH THEARCH
ONTO THE ABUTMENT.
ARCHES WERE USED BY THE PERSIAN, HARAPPAN, EGYPTIAN,
BABYLONIAN, GREEK AND ASSYRIAN CIVILIZATIONS FOR
UNDERGROUND STRUCTURES SUCH AS DRAINS AND VAULTS,
BUT THE ANCIENT ROMANS WERE THE FIRST TO USE THEM
WIDELY ABOVE GROUND ALTHOUGH IT IS THOUGHT THAT
ROMANS LEARNED IT FROM THE ETRUSCANS.
THE SEMICIRCULAR ARCH DESIGN HAD BEEN USED BY THE
ASSYRIANS AS EARLY AS 722 BC.

LOCATION: SIR SYED HALL
NORTH, AMU, ALIGARH
•ADJUST THE LINE TO THE TOP OF EACH COURSE AT THE CORNERS
AND RUN IN BRICKWORK NORMALLY TO THE ARCH, CUTTING AS
REQUIRED TO THE EXTRADOS OF THE ARCH.
• REPEAT THE PROCEDURE UNTIL THE ARCH IS COMPLETE, ALWAYS
RETAINING THE BALANCE BY BUILDING BOTH SIDES UP TOGETHER.
THE KEY BRICK MUST BE LAID VERY CAREFULLY AND THE JOINTS
WELL FILLED.
• EASE THE CENTRE SLIGHTLY AS SOON AS THE ARCH IS COMPLETE,
TO ALLOW THE JOINTS TO CONTRACT UNIFORMLY WHEN SETTING.
• STRIKE THE ARCH CENTRE AFTER ALLOWING ADEQUATE TIME TO
SET. JOINT THE SOFFIT OF THE ARCH.
•PULL A LINE THROUGH THE CORNERS
AND LAY THE FACE OF THE VOISSOIRS
TO THE LINE. IT MAY BE NECESSARY TO
RAISE THE LINE WHILST THE VOISSOIRS
ARE BEING LAID. THE LINE CONTROLS
THE FACE PLANE OF THE VOISSOIRS
ONLY.
• LEVEL EACH VOISSOIR AS IT IS LAID
AND CHECK THAT IT IS LAID SQUARE ON
THE ARCH CENTRE, AND THAT IT MEETS
•LAY A FEW VOISSOIRS ON EACH SIDE TO AVOID PUSHING THE
CENTRE OUT OF POSITION. ENSURE ALL JOINTS ARE TOTALLY FULL
TO AVOID WEAKNESSES IN THE ARCH.
THE MARKED SETTING OUT POINTS ON THE CENTRE. CHECK THAT
THE BRICK RADIATESTO THE STRIKING POINT WITH A LINE .

SEMICIRCULAR ARCH
THE CENTRE OF THE ARCH LIES ON
THE SPRINGING LINE AND THE
SHAPE OF THE CURVE OF ARCH IS
SEMI-CIRCLE. AS THE SKEWBACK IS
HORIZONTAL, THE THRUST
TRANSFERRED TO THE ABUTMENT
IS PERFECTLY IN VERTICAL
DIRECTION
USE OF SEMI-CICULAR ARCHES
ROMAN ARCHES ENABLED THE ANCIENT ROMANS, TO BUILD
BRIDGES, AQUEDUCTS, SEWERS, AMPHITHEATRES, AND , AS WELL
AS TEMPLES AND PALACES. IT IS AN ESSENTIAL ELEMENT IN THE
MAGNIFICENT GOTHIC CATHEDRALS OF THE MIDDLE AGES. IT WAS
APPLIED EXTENSIVELY TO DOORWAYS AND WINDOWS, AND IS AN
ORNAMENT AS WELL AS A UTILITY.
SEMI-CIRCULAR ARCHES IN THE COLOSSEUM
THE BUILDING OF THE COLOSSEUM WAS STRONGLY INFLUENCED
BY THE COMBINATION OF TWO OF THEIR GREAT INVENTIONS -
CONCRETE AND SEMI-CIRCULAR ARCHES(VAULTED) ARCHES. THE
COLOSSEUM HAD FOUR TIERS. THE CEILINGS OF THE PASSAGES
AND CORRIDORS WHICH CIRCLED THE ARENA ON EACH TIER
CONSISTED OF VAULTED AND SEMI-CIRCULAR ARCHES MADE OF
CONCRETE.

•FIRST OF ALL 2 PILLARS ARE
DRAWN OF APPROPRIATE HEIGHT
AND THESE ARE JOINED WITH A
STRAIGHT LINE. THIS INE IS KNOWN
AS SPRINGING LINE.
•TAKING MID POINT OF THIS
SPRINGING LINE TO DRAW A SEMI
CIRCLE, FROM INSIDE LINE AS WELL
AS OUTSIDE LINE OF THE PILLARS
•MAKE KEY STONE AND GIVE
APPROPRIATE NUMBER OF
VOUSSOIRS (WEDGE-SHAPED
UNITS)
•DO PROPER DIMENSIONING AND
THE SEMI-CIRCULAR ARCH IS READY.
LOCATION
SIR SYED HALL(SOUTH)

PSEUDO FOUR CENTERED ARCH
FOUR-CENTERED ARCHES ARE MOST
OFTEN FOUND IN VICTORIAN
ARCHITECTURE FOR A SIMPLE
REASON: VICTORIAN ARCHITECTURE
IS A BLEND OF NEO-CLASSICAL STYLES
AND GOTHIC DESIGNS. AND THERE IS
NO BETTER EXAMPLE OF GOTHIC
REVIVAL ARCHITECTURE
THAN A FOUR-CENTERED ARCH.
THE FOUR-CENTERED ARCH IS OFTEN CALLED A ‘TUDOR ARCH’
BECAUSE OF IT’S ORIGIN IN JACOBEAN ARCHITECTURE.
A VARIATION OF THE FOUR-CENTERED ARCH IS THE ‘PSEUDO
FOUR-CENTERED ARCH.’ THIS TYPE OF ARCH IS OFTEN USED
ON OPENINGS WITH A SHORT RISE. IN THIS VARIATION, THE
LARGER ARCS THAT CREATE THE POINTED TOP ARE
REPLACED WITH STRAIGHT LINES THAT ARE TANGENT TO
THE OUTER CIRCULAR ARCS.
A LOW ELLIPTICAL OR POINTED
ARCH; USUALLY DRAWN FROM
FOUR CENTERS

•DRAW OUT THE SPRING LINE AND APERPENDICULAR HEIGHT
LINE AT THE SPRINGLINE'S MIDPOINT.
•FIND POINTS A AND B BY MEASURING IN FROM EACH END OF
THE SPRING LINE THE DISTANCE OF THE DESIRED OUTER RADIUS.
THEN DRAW QUARTER ARCS USING POINTS A AND B AS CENTERS
•USING A STRAIGHT EDGE, DRAW LINES CONNECTING POINTS A AND
B TO THETOP OF THE HEIGHT LINE. THEN LOCATE POINTS C AND D
AT THE MIDPOINT OF EACH OF THESE LINES
•FIND THE TANGENT POINTS, T1 AND T2, BY USING ARCS
CENTERED ONPOINTS C AND D WITH A RADIUS OF AC/DB.
•CLOSE UP THE TOP OF THE ARCH BY USING A STRAIGHT EDGE TO
CONNECT POINTS T1 AND T2 TO THE TOP OF THE HEIGHT LINE.
LOCATION
VM HALL

ARCHES AND ITS TYPES

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ARCHES AND ITS TYPES