The buttressing systems of Gothic cathedrals with their flying buttresses are one of the outstanding achievements in the art of medieval building. Salisbury Cathedral offers a unique opportunity to analyse and compare five different systems of flying buttresses – the first constructed and planned together with the whole cathedral and the others added in various phases up to the 15th century and furthermore differing significantly both in geometry and structural  details – on one quite uniform structure (1220-1266).
Within this project the buttressing systems of Salisbury Cathedral are being surveyed paying particular consideration to issues of construction history and their structural details. Furthermore the structural behaviour of the different flying buttress systems in the structural system of the cathedral as a whole is being analysed in depth. This will be achieved for the overall system with the means of graphic statics, whereas the detailed models of the flying buttresses make use of the Discrete Elements Method in order to represent the load bearing behaviour and failure mechanisms accurately.
On the basis of the outcome of these analyses the following issues will be addressed: To what extend contribute the buttressing systems to the security level of the load bearing capacity of the cathedral? Is there any significant trend in the changes of the load bearing behaviour of the structural system? Which part plays the design of the details in this context?
Based on these analyses and taking into account numerous comparative examples a structural typology of flying buttresses will be established. With this further step the conclusions from the singular analysis will be spread to the structural element flying buttress as a whole.

Person in charge
Dipl.-Ing. Johanna Mähner, M.A.

Handling period
seit Mai 2007

Funding
International Graduate School Cottbus (2007-2009)

Partners
Professur für Bauforschung und Baugeschichte, University of Bamberg,
Salisbury Cathedral and Peter Edds, Head of Buildings and Estate

Publications

• Mähner, J.: Die Strebebogentypen an der Kathedrale von Salisbury – Bautechnische Aspekte. In: Kuhrmann, A.; Schmidt, L. (Hrsg): Forschen, Bauen & Erhalten, Jahrbuch 2009/2010. Berlin/Bonn: Westkreuzverlag, 2009, S. 12-19. ISBN 978-3-939721-17-8
• Mähner, J.: Salisbury Cathedral and its Diversity of Flying Buttresses. In: Kurrer, K.-E. et. al. (Ed.): Proceedings of the 3rd International Congress on Construction History, BTU Cottbus, May 20-24, 2009, vol. 2, pp.975-982. ISBN 978-3-936033-31-1 (3 volumes)