Deconstructing the dome

A structural analysis of the Taj Mahal

Journal article (2015)

Authors

A.A. Mehrotra Princeton University
Branko Glisic Princeton University
Affiliation
External organisation
Numerical modelling Structural analysis Historic structure Masonry dome Taj Mahal
More Info
expand_more

Published Date

2015

Language

English

Reuse Rights

Other than for strictly personal use, it is not permitted to download, forward or distribute the text or part of it, without the consent of the author(s) and/or copyright holder(s), unless the work is under an open content license such as Creative Commons.

Affiliation

External organisation

Abstract

The Taj Mahal, built by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan to commemorate the death of his wife Mumtaz Mahal, is considered to be a marvel of Mughal construction. While the structure has been studied in great detail from an architectural perspective, limited studies have been conducted with respect to its structural stability. Furthermore, very little information exists with regard to how the building, especially its distinctive dome, was constructed. The aim of this paper was to conduct a detailed structural analysis of the dome of the Taj Mahal in order to better understand how it was constructed. This is successfully performed by conducting a finite element analysis of the structure using Abaqus CAE, and by analyzing the materials, stresses, and dome construction techniques.