Arch And Concrete In Ancient Rome

To start, let’s establish what both an arch and concrete are. An arch is a curved structure that spans a space and may or may not support weight above it (Wikipedia). Concrete in the Roman period had a basis of what is called pozzolana, a chocolate-colored volcanic earth (Wilson, A, n.d). The Romans used both extensively and showcased these in their private dwellings, public buildings, statutes and the construction of town walls throughout the Roman empire.
The arch itself was introduced to the Romans by the Etruscans. The Romans adapted its style and the arch was displayed in several forms and for various uses. For illustrative purposes, some examples of arches are the Arch of Augustus (left) and the Arch of Trajan (right).

Although the arch-like structures above maybe seen as grand and beautiful, they do not demonstrate a direct benefit to the population. As such, I turn to more purposeful uses of the arch architecture. First, let’s talk about entertainment. We have heard of how the
The arch bridge, engineered to withstand its own weight, connected land. They could be built over gorges and rivers, thus allowing for the more frequent flow of both people and commercial opportunity. Also, very importantly, the Roman empire could quickly deploy its army from place to place. Similarly, the development of the aqueduct, with its arch approach, generated significant benefit for the Roman people in that it created a system for the flow of water into Rome. Over and above day to day access to drinking water, one notable use of water from these aqueducts were for the Roman baths. Roman baths were an important fixture in Roman culture. Romans gathered not only to wash and clean themselves, but were a place of social gathering where business discussions could also be