Roof of Santa Caterina Market in Barcelona

The Santa Caterina market roof is a structure made of steel and wood. It is composed of a set of wooden arches with straight and curved axes, supported by tubular steel beams of various cross-sections. These beams also hang from a set of three circular arches by means of a set of vertical hangers. The wooden arches are either three-pinned or two-pinned. The steel arches are tied with cables which support the horizontal forces and then, with this stress, control the arch vertical deformations. The Institute of Barcelona Markets, controlled by the city council, is in the process of remodelling old markets around the city. Santa Caterina market is located in the centre of an old neighbourhood that carries the same name. The roof was conceived as a curved and light surface that would float on a set of cables. Its outer surface was to be formed by colourful ceramic mosaics. Once the initial idea was conceived, the structural design and the calculations were initiated at the end of 1997. They were changed several times during the process and finally fixed as a set of wooden arches supported by steel beams, with these supported by three metallic arches through a set of hangers (Fig. 1). The structure was completed in 2004, and the market opened to the public in May 2005. The entire steel structure is made only of tubular sections and steel plates.