How Many Bricks in an Arch?

[toman311]

Hey all,

I'm doing quantity takeoffs for brick and I'm trying to figure out how to get the computer to figure out how many bricks are in an arch. The arches are all based on a circle, but the arches do not start at the diameter. They start at a chord on the circle that makes up the arch.

I came up with a very detailed formula to calculate the arc length of the arch, which I was planning to multiple with the number of bricks in a soldier bond that I would mathematically figure to be in 1 linear foot of arc length.

The problem comes from not being able to find one of the variables that I need for my equation. The two variables I need are the chord length, which is the width of the opening, and the height of the arc base at the midpoint of the arch. I cannot find the height of the arc base in Expressions. I can find it when searching for Interactive Schedule fields. It goes under the name "Arch Height" and I found it under the "Library Part Parameters" under ARCHICAD Library > Object Library > 08 Openings > 08 10 00 Doors and Frames > Openings > "Arch Top Door Opening".

Is there any way to force this into Expression formula's or is there possibly another way to get the computer to figure the arc length of an arch? Or am I way off and instead need to do something simpler to get the computer to calculate how much soldier bricks are in an arch?

[Hmooslechner]

If You look at the arch - you can calculate or measure the length of the arch-bow. You also know the measure of the bricks + the normal intendt join and then you can divide the archlength through the (bricks + the join) and you get of course not an integer but you get a floating-point - number.
If you now divide the archlengt through the next bigger integer, you will now get slightely bigger joints or smaller joints by using the next smaller integer.

made a gdl for this some years ago:

https://bimcomponents.com/GSM/Details/14716
(Attention: download - just draw the downloadbutton ino Archicad.)


its german but you can get the ides:

[toman311]

Thanks for the reply!

I'm going to look into later though.

It seems thorough. Thanks again!