Will my side walls need to be butressed? Newbie Forum Discuss Will my side walls need to be butressed? in the Good Background Information forums; Please have a look at this photo. I would like to know from anyone if they think that the weight ...

[herrbeckley]

Please have a look at this photo. I would like to know from anyone if they think that the weight and force of the arch will be too much for the side walls to support.

Very Respectfully,

[egalecki]

I think it depends on what goes on top of it. By itself I'd say it's ok, but if you start putting weight on it (flue tile, bricks for the transition) you might have a problem. But I don't really know for sure.

[dmun]

I'm still not quite sure what I'm looking at. Is this one course of the top arch of a barrel vault oven, or the opening of a domed oven? The barrel vaults usually have thick side walls for structural purposes, but I'm no expert on them.

[RTflorida]

looka like a barrel vault, to which I have no knowledge of smart building practices.
I'm curious, did you use your cedar 4 x 4s for the hearth support?

RT

[herrbeckley]

Yes I did use them. Plus four giant angle irons. This oven isn't going anywhere. This is a barrel vault oven. The picture is ove the first row for the oven dome. It is only 14" high and I think it is very secure. I am now very confident of the walls, but would love some expert advice. I truly appreciate all of the help I have received from this forum. I should explain that I decided to build a squashed barrel dome rather than a pompei because I wanted a very aggressive dome but had not the skills for a neapolitan design.

V/R
TB

[Mojoe]

What are the end arch bricks butting up against? Typically at that point you want brick on brick on the bottom edge. It appears you have backfilled the space behind the bottom edge of the end arch brick with material to the sidewall brick. This backfilled material could fall out as you cook over a period of time. Same applies to the joints between your arch bricks, brick on brick at the heat source is the best way to go. Almost looks like one more brick in the arch would tighten things up.

The concern I have is not so much the arch kicking outward but, the arch falling inward onto your cook surface due to the weight of insulation/cladding that will be on top. Concrete cladding around the perimeter probably won't allow any outward movement.

[nissanneill]

herrbeckley
I would definately brace your sides as you haven't locked your front bricks onto your side walls. I can't see your back corners but the front and back walls would then be non supportive of they wide arch. I would have used 1 1/2 bricks and tied/interlocked them with the side bricks to make a much stronger construction, as the diagram attached

Neill