Catenary Tiles

I was playing around with the clay, trying to think of what to do  for the sleeping surface part of the shelter. I thought I would try a different method of forming tiles. Roman tile-makers formed roof tiles by slapping clay over their thighs- thighs had the proper length and taper, I suppose. In the past, I have used a rolling method, where a sheet of clay is rolled out between a frame that has the proper thickness. I decided to try making catenary curve tiles. If the frame was placed on some sort of fabric or mesh that could then be hung, the tile would take a catenary shape- then it would be in pure compression when flipped over.

 It worked quite well. I was afraid the clay would crack, but after the first day of drying it is fine. I think if I continue testing I will use a thinner sheet of clay and try to get more control over the height of the mesh. I can also perhaps suspend from more than 4 points to make different curves.

 I also like the fact that the mesh is imprinted on the convex side of the tile. The tile contains a trace of its forming.