Author(s)

Ramon F. Borges

Abstract

A study conducted by the author is aimed at deriving a better understanding of the architecture, history, and structural characteristics of San Jose Cathedral, San Juan, Puerto Rico. This paper discusses the structural action of the dome that covers the Rosary Chapel of the cathedral and the creation of numerical models accounting for the material behavior of the masonry roof-structure. Furthermore, the golden mean is employed to interpret the structural behavior of the hemispherical dome, particularly in regard to the stress resultants acting in the plane of the shell and the horizontal thrust developed at the base of the dome. 1. Introduction The San Jose Cathedral [1], is one of the first works of architecture built in the New World by the Spaniards

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