Historical and Structural Analysis of the Lintel Fracture Over the Monastery of El Escorial Main Door

Articles in Press

Document Type : Regular Paper

Author

Professor, Faculty of Economics and Business, Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC), Barcelona, Spain

Abstract

Lintels are typical horizontal elements of the oldest buildings, especially in Egypt and Greece. Their presence has been constant throughout the centuries in countless buildings and constructions. When the lintels are masonry, they have many limitations due to their low flexural strength, which can cause their fracture. Here we analyze a very relevant case in a very significant monument. This article conducts a historical analysis to diagnose the moment in which the fracture of the lintel of the main door of the Monastery of El Escorial occurred and a structural analysis to diagnose the causes and danger of this fracture. Analyzing the fractured lintel on the main entrance door of the Monastery of El Escorial is important for several reasons related to its historical, architectural, and conservation significance. A fractured lintel could indicate broader structural issues that, if not addressed, could compromise the building's stability, or simply be a logical consequence of the normal functioning of this structural element.

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

[1]     UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Monastery and Site of the Escurial, Madrid -. World Herit List 2009.
[2]     Sigüenza J de. Historia primitiva y exacta del monasterio del Escorial. 2003.
[3]     Kamen H. The Escorial: Art and power in the renaissance. 2010. https://doi.org/10.1086/scj23210876.
[4]     Sobrino M. Monasterios : las biografías desconocidas de los cenobios de España. La Esfera de los Libros; 2013.
[5]     Rodríguez Elizalde R. Auscultation Techniques of Constituent Materials of Monuments and Ancient Constructions: Immediate Techniques and Instrumental Techniques. J Mater Polym Sci 2022;2. https://doi.org/10.47485/2832-9384.1022.
[6]     Rodríguez Elizalde R. Structural Inspection by RPAS (Drones): Quality Work with Preventive Guarantee. J Eng Appl Sci Technol 2022:1–11. https://doi.org/10.47363/jeast/2022(4)143.
[7]     Rodríguez Elizalde R. Use of Remotely Piloted Aircraft (Drones) for the Inspection of Architectural Heritage and Ancient Structures. Rehabend, 2022, p. 1528–42.
[8]     Perret P. Estampas de la Fábrica de San Lorenzo el Real de El Escorial 1589.
[9]     Hatır ME, İnce İ, Bozkurt F. Investigation of the effect of microclimatic environment in historical buildings via infrared thermography. J Build Eng 2022;57. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jobe.2022.104916.
[10]   Diana G, Fais S. Ir thermography and ultrasonic investigations in the cultural heritage field. 15th Int. Conf. Cult. Herit. New Technol., 2010, p. 643–8.
[11]   Pappalardo G, Mineo S, Caliò D, Bognandi A. Evaluation of Natural Stone Weathering in Heritage Building by Infrared Thermography. Heritage 2022;5:2594–614. https://doi.org/10.3390/heritage5030135.
[12]   Rodríguez Elizalde R. Thermography Applied to Damage Diagnosis over Monuments and Ancient Constructions. J Mater Sci Eng Technol 2023:1–6. https://doi.org/10.61440/jmset.2023.v1.04.
[13]   Chías Navarro P. Territorio y paisaje en el entorno del Monasterio de San Lorenzo de el Escorial: planos y vistas desde el dibujo de Hatfield House a Guesdon. EGA Rev Expresión Gráfica Arquit 2013;18. https://doi.org/10.4995/ega.2013.1687.
[14]   Navascués Palacio P. La obra como espectáculo: el dibujo Hatfield. Monast. El Escorial. Las Casas Reales. (El Palacio), 1986, p. 55–67.
[15]   López-Mozo A. On the Use of Perspective by Juan de Herrera, Architect of Philip II of Spain. Nexus Netw J 2015;17:133–55. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00004-015-0240-1.
[16]   Calama Rodríguez JM. Los aparejadores y las técnicas constructivas empleadas en El Escorial. El Escorial Hist. Arte, Cienc. y Matemáticas, 2012, p. 235–7.
[17]   Castello F. Drawing of the construction of the Monastery of San Lorenzo de El Escorial, in 1576 2015:6.
[18]   Vitruviuis. de Architectura, Book III. 2015.
[19]   de la Cuadra Blanco JR. Génesis de las medidas de El Escorial. Herodoto y la cuestión del codo bíblico. El Escorial Hist. Arte, Cienc. y Matemáticas, 2012, p. 181–234.
[20]   de Herrera J. Discurso Del Señor Juan de Herrera, Aposentador Mayor de S.M. Sobre La Figura Cúbica 1976.
[21]   Rabasa Díaz E, López Mozo A. El Escorial. Estereotomía de la piedra. El Escorial Hist. Arte, Cienc. y Matemáticas, 2012, p. 149–80.
[22]   Heyman J. The stone skeleton. Int J Solids Struct 1966;2. https://doi.org/10.1016/0020-7683(66)90018-7.
[23]   Huerta S. Oval Domes: History, Geometry and Mechanics. Nexus Netw J 2007;9:211–48. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-7643-8699-3_4.
[24]   Heyman J. “Gothic” Construction in Ancient Greece. J Soc Archit Hist 1972;31:3–9. https://doi.org/10.2307/988722.
[25]   Viollet-le-Duc E-E. Dictionnaire raisonné de l’architecture française du XI° au XVI° siècle. 1868.
[26]   Tripathy D, Singhal V. Estimation of in-plane shear capacity of confined masonry walls with and without openings using strut-and-tie analysis. Eng Struct 2019;188:290–304. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.engstruct.2019.03.002.
[27]   Latifi R, Hadzima-Nyarko M, Radu D, Rouhi R. A Brief Overview on Crack Patterns, Repair and Strengthening of Historical Masonry Structures. Materials (Basel) 2023;16. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16051882.
[28]   Borah B, Kaushik HB, Singhal V. Analysis and Design of Confined Masonry Structures: Review and Future Research Directions. Buildings 2023;13. https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13051282.
[29]   Camp J. Temple of Olympian Zeus. Oxford Art Online, Oxford University Press; 2003. https://doi.org/10.1093/oao/9781884446054.013.90000369755.
Journal of Rehabilitation in Civil Engineering

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 14 January 2025

Files

History

  • Receive Date: 25 August 2024
  • Revise Date: 03 December 2024
  • Accept Date: 10 January 2025

Share

How to cite

Statistics