Flying buttress

A flying buttress is part of the strut unit of a Gothic basilica, which are called buttresses the bridge-like, rising bracing between the wall of the nave or choir and the buttresses. The buttresses acts as supporting arch between the buttresses and a static key part of the building, such as the location of the outer wall, rests on the inside of the supporting arches of the ribbed vault. Its function is to absorb the side thrust of the vault and derive the buttresses (see: load balancing of the vault ). About the buttresses of the static forces are then derived to the ground. The flying buttresses by which this power dissipation is possible, relieves the walls of the building, which is why Gothic basilicas were provided with large windows.