Engineering Arches In Roman Architecture
The rampant creativity and readily available knowledge in the Greek and Roman Empires helped to foster some of the greatest engineering accomplishments known to mankind. These feats include the creation of central heating, arches, and the Roman road system. Central heating, arches, and the road system used in ancient Rome have all impacted society and more specifically engineering today.
The first known use of central heating was in the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus, Greece. The temple was kept warm through a system that was built beneath the floor. This system included a furnace and the heat generated by the furnace would travel through flues in the floor which in turn would heat the room (Austin). This invention, like the rest of the engineering …show more content…
Although arches had been used previously, the Romans capitalized on its usefulness by improving the design through flattening the arch and using concrete to construct them (Gascoigne). This allowed the Romans to use arches to create bigger, heavier structures. The use of arches in Roman architecture helped to distribute the weight of a structure better, so that buildings, like the Colosseum, would not collapse under their own weight. Arches were also key in the construction of bridges aqueducts. The use of arches helped to make these larger spanning and longer lasting. Due to its prevalent use, the arch has come to connote Roman architectural style and is still a key feature in bridges or buildings.
The final engineering feat during the ancient Grecian and Roman Eras is the Roman road system. The roads were paved using concrete, and had drainage systems on the sides to prevent flooding (Andrews, 2004). They provided the Roman Empire with an efficient way to travel and not only improved the movement of armies and goods, but also helped to unify the country. Some of these roads have lasted to this day. The impact that this road system has on today is that created a precedent for empires to build highways and the durability and design of those roads has led to a greater knowledge of how to build roads
The first known use of central heating was in the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus, Greece. The temple was kept warm through a system that was built beneath the floor. This system included a furnace and the heat generated by the furnace would travel through flues in the floor which in turn would heat the room (Austin). This invention, like the rest of the engineering …show more content…
Although arches had been used previously, the Romans capitalized on its usefulness by improving the design through flattening the arch and using concrete to construct them (Gascoigne). This allowed the Romans to use arches to create bigger, heavier structures. The use of arches in Roman architecture helped to distribute the weight of a structure better, so that buildings, like the Colosseum, would not collapse under their own weight. Arches were also key in the construction of bridges aqueducts. The use of arches helped to make these larger spanning and longer lasting. Due to its prevalent use, the arch has come to connote Roman architectural style and is still a key feature in bridges or buildings.
The final engineering feat during the ancient Grecian and Roman Eras is the Roman road system. The roads were paved using concrete, and had drainage systems on the sides to prevent flooding (Andrews, 2004). They provided the Roman Empire with an efficient way to travel and not only improved the movement of armies and goods, but also helped to unify the country. Some of these roads have lasted to this day. The impact that this road system has on today is that created a precedent for empires to build highways and the durability and design of those roads has led to a greater knowledge of how to build roads