Dougong 斗拱

Dougong:

A Nailless Chinese Construction Arts

斗拱:

中國人無釘的建築藝術

Dougong 斗拱

Dougong is a unique structural element used in traditional Chinese architecture to support the weight of the temple’s roof and transfer the weight to the column and foundation. It supports the frame of the roof purely using interlocking wooden brackets set into columns and beams without any nail. More than an independent art, the simple technique is durable and quick to assemble.

A Dougong is made of multiple layers of bracket sets. They are created by placing a trapezoidal wooden block ("dou") onto a column to form a solid base. Another wooden bracket ("gong") is then inserted into the dou to support either a wooden beam, or another gong and roof eaves.

As multiple dougong brackets are added, the weight of the roof compresses the joints and distributes the weight evenly throughout the structure. This way, individual elements are not prone to splitting or cracking and the system of interlocking beams cannot be shaken apart or shattered under stress.

The dougong pieces need to be slightly modified as more layers of dougong are added, but the core principle remains the same throughout. The system creates an incredibly robust structure which sits lightly on the floor without needing to be sunk into the ground.

斗拱是一種中國漢族建築特有的一種結構,它位於柱與梁之間,由寺廟屋面和上層構架傳下來的荷載,要通過斗拱傳給柱子,再由柱傳到地基,因此,它起著承上啟下,傳遞荷載的作用,完全不用釘子。

斗拱由一系列置於柱頂的托木組成,在內部它承托木樑,在外部它支承屋簷。一攢斗拱中包括一層層探出成弓形的承重結構叫拱,拱與拱之間墊的方形木塊叫斗,合稱斗拱。它僅使用木製接縫承托木樑,屋頂又使屋簷伸出得遠一些,而無需釘子。

當添加多個斗拱支架時,屋頂的重量會壓縮接縫,並將重量平均分配到整個結構中。這樣,單個元件不容易分裂或開裂,並且互鎖梁系統不會在應力作用下搖動或破碎。

在頂部添加新的支架層意味著需要對工件進行一些修改,只需進行簡單的改動即可創建不同的結構,但核心原理始終保持不變。該系統創建了一個非常堅固的結構,該結構可以輕鬆地坐在地板上,而無需沉入地下。