ABSTRACT
The objective of this chapter was to test how these 50-year-old experiments can now be refined computationally, creating new shapes, which are still materially efficient. The designers of this system used a computational tool they developed called Thrust Network Analysis (TNA), which allowed for the optimization of complex three-dimensional equilibrium shells. This computational modeling allowed the designers to expand beyond the typical constraints of thin-tile arches. Typical domes of thin-tile vaulting are composed of more layers at the base of the dome and fewer as the rows approach the cusp of the dome. The constructed surface is revised using the TNA plug-in's calculations to create a compression-only form. The location of each row of bricks computationally can be done by offsetting the edge curves of the surface using the width of each tile. Complex forms in thin tiles were typically eyeballed by a mason to create the appropriate arc for each structural form.
