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Post by effortlessdiy on Jul 27, 2019 4:19:28 GMT
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Post by downunderdave on Jul 28, 2019 9:33:01 GMT
Anyone following this build needs to know it has a number of deficiencies, some minor some serious. If you build it you are bound to be disappointed. Firstly any oven needs adequate foundations as the materials are heavy and any movement at soil level will result in stress and probably fracture of the structure. Generally 4” of reinforced concrete is considered standard. The hemispherical barrel is relatively stable, but to build it taller compromises the strength, increasing the stress of the sideways thrust of the vault. Generally barrel vaults require either steel bracing or buttressing to counteract this sideways thrust, more important the higher the sides become. In addition a tall oven increases the distance from the vault to the food, the opposite of the low dome favoured by Neapolitan ovens. The greatest deficiency is the lack of insulation both under the floor and over the dome. This increases heat up time and the ability of the structure to retain heat. It is doubtful if it would even reach pizza temperature (400C). If building a vault a much stronger structure is created if the bricks are staggered rather than building four separate arches. This does necessitate building one longer form to be removed once the whole vault is completed. Unless wedges are placed under the form, allowing it to drop a centimetre or so, removal of the tight form can easily result in damage to the vault. Floor bricks are generally laid loose unmortared to allow for individual thermal expansion as well as easy replacement should they crack years down the track. The back wall of of a half barrel oven should be built under the vault rather than beside it and preferably be tied into the side walls. The expanding vault has a tendency to push out the back wall if it is built beside the vault. Building an uninsulated wood fired oven hard up against a wooden post is folly at best and perhaps illegal at worst. |
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