The inverted arches foundation of “la Fábrica de Tabacos”, an University of Seville historic building

Abstract

This paper aims to ratify the conclusions of a work first published by the journal Informes de la Construcción (Vol. 63, issue 521, 2011), that described the existence of foundations made of brick, and ruled out the existence of archaeological remains under the foundations of the “Fábrica de Tabacos” of the University of Seville. This new work also describes the researches carried out “in situ” during the excavations of those galleries, which have increased the studied foundations knowledge. The main conclusions of this study are two: the inexistence of underground archaeological remains; and the knowledge of the real foundation, formerly designed as isolated prismatic brick piles, but complemented by lattices of inverted arches that help prismatic foundations to expand their contact areas on the ground. This foundation system is also braced and connected by the brick arches, to avoid differential settlements, and to strength the building against earthquakes.