Arch - need to buttress?

[DBinnema]

Does one need to buttress an arch such as mine- see photo? I am thinking of leaving a 1/8" gap b/w it and the oven as a heat break - not sure if that makes any difference. I do not plan to buttress it but have stumbled across posts that made me want to make sure this is ok.

[david s]

Re: Arch - need to buttress?

No buttressing is required for a semicircular arch IMO. That's why the Romans loved them so much.A flatter arch with straight walls is a different matter.

[stonecutter]

Re: Arch - need to buttress?

Almost all of the segmented arches I see being buttressed on here don't need it.

[SableSprings]

Re: Arch - need to buttress?

You're fine unless you add much more weight above the arch, i.e. if you decided to put in a brick chimney stack rather than the SS pipe. As David noted, the nice semicircular Roman arch you've built is structurally sound and as Stonecutter alludes, many of us who have buttressed our arches do it for other reasons such as looks or providing utility nooks/shelves.