Volte realine. A description and analysis of a vernacular technique for defining and designing new thin shells

Among the vault construction techniques developed in different areas in the Mediterranean basin, the realine vaults technique presents characteristics of particular interest. The term realine identifies thin vaults, built in Sicily until the 1950s, whose thickness is less than 10 cm. For their construction, there is evidence that the materials used were clay bricks (1 cm thick) connected with gypsum paste to form no more than three superimposed layers. Such structures, in which the materials used can no longer be separated once laid, are called “cohesive” and their strength depends on their shape. Based on these assumptions, the main purpose of this paper is to highlight the identifying principles of this technique. An example is the limited use of formworks, as well as the great lightness and ease of laying. Therefore, this leads to the definition and design of new shell vaulted systems, which follow the principles of cost-effectiveness and eco-compatibility increasingly indispensable in construction.