Roof Structure Detail Study

LocationGan'nan, China
Year2025
StatusResearch Documentation

Traditional flat Tibetan buildings rely on timber column-beam frames to hold up floors and roofs. Workers ram stones and loess over the frame to create a solid finished surface.

FIG.1Purlin laying construction

For traditional roof construction, wooden planks or strips are laid over rafters first, then large stones and crushed small stones are placed in order.

FIG.2Timber board laid on purlins, image from Tashilhunpo Monastery

Nowadays, plastic sheets are added as a damp-proof layer, and the entire surface is rammed with loess soil to finish the roof assembly.

FIG.3Cover timber board with stones, image from Tashilhunpo Monastery
FIG.4loess soil rammed, image from Tashilhunpo Monastery

Eaves are moderately raised and the roof is built with a gentle slope to enable rainwater drainage.

FIG.5Completed roof

This structural detail drawing is drawn based on archival documents and on-site photos, integrating the construction of Tibetan flat roofs and multi-layer column-beam timber frame. Further research on this roof joint detail is still in progress.

FIG.6Axonometric – Roof structure detail，Gan'Nan Tibetan Temples

Credits

Research Team Zhongyang Chen, Nettie Ni
PhotographsZhongyang Chen, Nettie Ni
Documentationhanyi zhang