Glossary · C
Corbelled vault
Also called corbel vault, false vault, false arch, corbel arch, Maya arch
A roof made by stepping horizontal courses of stone inward from both walls until the gap can be closed by a capstone. Every stone stays horizontal and no thrust is produced, so it is not a true arch; it stands only while each half keeps its centre of gravity over its wall.
Rules that use the word
Keep each half of a corbel vault over its wall. In a corbelled vault each course may project only a little beyond the one below, and each overhanging half must have its centre of gravity behind the inner face of its wall; load the tails of the stones with heavy hearting until the capstone is set.
Where it appears in the book
In the chapters The Ancient World, South and Southeast Asia, The Americas.
Nearby in the glossary
Concinnitas · Conservatory · Corbel · Corbelled dome · Corinthian · Cornice · Corona · Cortile